Dieter Rahmadiawan, Shih-Chen Shi, Navid Aslfattahi, Anna Niska Fauza, Zahrul Fuadi
Cellulose, a sustainable and biodegradable biopolymer, has emerged as a promising candidate for lubricant additives due to its ability to form protective boundary layers, reduce surface roughness, and enhance load-bearing capacity. This review explores the underlying tribological mechanisms, such as the mending effect, physical adsorption, and hydrogen bonding, which contribute to the performance of cellulose-based lubricants. Various applications are then discussed across liquid, semisolid, and solid lubrication systems. Notably, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) demonstrate strong friction and wear reducing performance. The paper also identifies some research gaps and limitations that need to be addressed. © 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Sumatera Barat, Padang, 25173, Indonesia; Department of Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, 166 07, Czech Republic; IINM, Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
