Comparative Study of Master Oil (MO) and Lophira Lanceolata (Ochnaceae) Oil (LLO) Lubricants in Sewing Machines

In this paper the thermodynamic properties (Fire, Flash, Cloud, Pour points, and Volatility) of master oil (MO) and locally processed Lophira lanceolata oil (LLO) were determined using standard laboratory methods. The results show that LLO has lower volatility which means it can stay longer in moving parts of a machine than MO. Also, the results show that the flash and fire points of the lubricants lie within the maximum operating temperature range (<300 oC) of sewing machines. The high pour point (14 oC) and cloud point (23 oC) of LLO limit its use as a lubricant in low temperate regions of the world as opposed to -14 oC and -7 oC respectively for MO which has universal application. This implies LLO needs to be chemically blended with some additive agents that can lower its Pour point so that it can favourably compete with other lubricants used in sewing machines worldwide.


Introduction
Liquids are one of the three phases of matter. The molecules of a liquid are loosely packed together and a liquid seeks its level or it takes the shape of its container. Liquids have a definite volume and no form elasticity (no shear modulus), and they are characterized by their strong interatomic forces or low compressibility because a slight decrease in the already small inter -atomic separations gives high inter-atomic forces of repulsion [1]. Liquids exist in various forms such as water, oils, solutions, molten solids, and condensed gases to mention but a few. Oils are naturally occurring inorganic or organic substances that are not soluble in water. Most oils containing organic materials are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and some elements like phosphorus.
Oils are mostly extracted from living animals and plants as well as their dead remains in rocks underground. Liquids like other states of matter have both physical and chemical properties which make them have wide applications in everyday life. For instance, viscosity has made liquids useful as lubricants in moving parts of machines. Furthermore, viscosity is a good parameter for controlling oil quality because it is sensitive to minor variations in temperature, concentration, homogeneity, and the shape and size of molecules. Lubricant's viscosity and blending agents influence the rate at which sensitive components oxidize at the liquid's surface [2]. Other physical properties of liquids that make them useful lubricants include fire point, cloud point, pour point, flash point, and volatility. Thus, the knowledge of the physical properties of liquids is very important, and therefore there is a need to devise means of measuring or determining them.
There are many devices for measuring these physical properties of liquids available in the markets today. The simple and sophisticated forms of these instruments for measuring the physical properties of liquids are available and affordable in developed countries but they are expensive and inadequate in developing countries like Nigeria. This makes it difficult to explore and harness useful information on the potential of locally produced oils in Nigeria. For example, over the years, through personal investigations and interactions with some individuals in the Ganye local government area of Adamawa State, we observed that the majority of tailors make use of Lophira Lanceolata oil (LLO) as a lubricant instead of the conventional Master oil (MO) in their sewing machines. The tailors ascertained that LLO is a good lubricant, most available, and cheaper than MO. It is against this background that we were motivated to determine the pour, cloud, flash, fire and flash points, and volatility of LLO to ascertain its relative effectiveness as a lubricant in sewing machines.

Research Methodology
Lophira, an Ochnaceae family tree also called as Meni oil tree or False shea and known locally as Beung (in Chamba language) and Namijin Kadanya (in Hausa language), grows both in dry and moist evergreen mangroves of tropical Africa [3]. Lophira lanceolata is the predominant species in dry savannah areas, while Lophira Procera is found in West Africa's tropical rain forests.
The Lophira tree blooms between the months of December and February. Most parts of the tree (bark, root bark, leaves, and leafy shoots) have been used for traditional medicine. The leaves are additionally employed in traditional rituals and given to livestock [4]. The fruit is bottle-shaped, lobed at the apex, and about 3 cm long, with continual sepals, two of which are expanded and wing-like. Lophira lanceolata seed contains 25 to 30% shell and 70 to 75% kernel, with the remainder yielding approximately 40% to more than 50% yellowish or cream-colored semi-solid fat [4]. In some Nigerian communities as well as other West African countries, the oil is used in preparing food as well as as a hair lotion and lice treatment. Despite their bitter and astringent taste, the seeds are consumed in some regions [4].
Lophira Lanceolata oil has the possibilities to be used as both animal feed and a source of food for humans. Currently, only the fat obtained from the seed is used, which represents about 40 -50% weight by weight [4]. Whenever the lipid is collected, the cake is considered waste and thus discarded. Regardless of the fact that defatted cake could be an excellent source of protein, it is not utilized as such. There is insufficient knowledge and studies on the chemical makeup of Lophira Lanceolata seeds [5]. Lophira Lanceolata oil's viscosity and density decrease with temperature, suggesting that it is a non-Newtonian liquid, a great lubricant and refrigerant in nonvehicle engines, an attractive corrosion inhibitor, and has bio-fuel prospects [6]. And according to  [7], the chemical classification of Lophira lanceolata oil indicated that it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (52.6%) and is significant in tocopherols (3.61 mg/100g). The bio -fuel potential was 38.78 (MJ/L), the iodine value was 72.4 (gI2/100g), the saponification value was 223.6 (MgKOH/g), and the free acid was 1.074% [6]. Lophira Lanceolata seeds can be pressed into oil and used as a hair lotion or on the skin to avoid dry skin. This is because of the fact that it is a less volatile and efficient lubricant. [4]. In practice, no sharp distinction exists between these various groupings as many lubricating oil molecules are a combination, to varying degrees, of the different types of hydrocarbons [8].

International Journal of Applied Sciences and Smart Technologies
Lubricating oils are fluids such as engine oils, gear, hydraulic oils, turbine oils, etc., used to reduce friction between moving surfaces. They also serve to remove heat from working parts in machinery created by moving surfaces and provide a protective layer on the metal surfaces to avoid corrosion.
They as well serve as sealers, filling microscopic ridges and valleys in metal surfaces to enhance the effectiveness of machines and equipment. Furthermore, they act as a cleaning agent, removing dirt and other unwanted materials that might damage bearings or other parts that are operated in close tolerance. Waste is removed from the engine oil or transmission filters. Lubricating oils are typically blended with a range of chemical additives to produce products that last longer and make it possible for machineries to function better in tough operational conditions. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the lubricants declines over time as the additives undergo chemical changes and Oil is used to lubricate moving parts of sewing machines and for the parts to run low or dry of oil will cause the bearings and bushings to prematurely wear, tear, and possibly seize. The effects of running with low or no oil are the most common reason we see that machines are sent in for repair. They are two types of sewing machine oil; they include Synthetic oil (Master oil) and direct effect on the oil's lubricating property, but they are important when the oil is exposed to high-temperature service. An excellent lubricant must possess a flash point that is at least greater than the temperature at which it will be used. This protects against the risk of fire throughout operation. A cloud point is the temperature at which a cooling liquid would seem cloudy or hazy, even though the pour point is the temperature at which the lubricant oil ceases to flow or pour. The cloud and pour points of lubricant oil appear to suggest its appropriateness in cold conditions. Lubricant oil used in a machine operating at low temperatures must have a low pour point; otherwise, lubricant oil solidification will cause machine parts to jam.

International Journal of Applied Sciences and Smart Technologies
It is worth noting that temperature is one of the factors that makes oils to have wide applications in science and engineering [11,12].   Table 2. The interpretation of the mass-time data can be done in two ways namely linear and exponential relations. In the case of linear relation, mass is plotted against time while in the case of exponential relation, the natural logarithm of mass is plotted against time.   where R 2 is the goodness of fit, the subscripts LLO and MO represent lophira lanceolata oil and master oil respectively. The regression lines show that the rate of evaporation of MO is higher than that of LLO. This means MO is more volatile than LLO. Therefore, LLO has the advantage of staying longer on the machine parts than the same amount of MO even though LLO is not treated as compared to the synthetic Master oil. The low volatility of LLO makes it a better lubricant than MO when they are used for a long period.

Conclusion
The study of the flash, fire, cloud, and pour points, and Volatility of master oil (MO) and