Abstract
The detrimental impact of non-renewable petroleum fuels on the environment has prompted the quest for more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternatives. This study aimed to assess the viability of utilizing banana peel extract as an additive for lubricants. The objective was to offer the Philippines an economically viable and eco-friendly answer for their industrial and waste management requirements. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess the tribological characteristics of the lubricant derived from banana peels, in comparison to conventional industrial lubricants. This evaluation involved conducting a coefficient of friction test and a pin-on-disc wear test. The oil derived from banana peels was obtained through a conventional extraction process and subsequently combined with paraffin oil in equal proportions (1:1) to produce the lubricant. The findings indicated that the standard lubricant exhibited superior tribological characteristics compared to the banana peel-based lubricant. The standard lubricant had an average coefficient of friction of 0.354 and a wear coefficient of 0.022, whereas the banana peel-based lubricant had respective values of 0.594 and 0.037. These findings lead to the conclusion that banana peel is not a viable addition for industrial lubricants. However, additional research is required to explore more sophisticated scientific tools and technologies for assessing the tribological characteristics of lubricants derived from banana peels. Furthermore, improvements to the banana peel extraction process should be considered to create more accurate and reliable results.
