In recent years, the tribology field has expanded with the advent of nanolubrication. Nanolubricants are the name given to the dispersion of nanoparticles in a base oil, and has attracted researchers due to its potential application. In addition to being used in the tribology field, nanoparticles are also used for medical, space, and composites purposes. The addition of nanoparticles in base oils is promising because it enhances specific tribological characteristics including wear-resistance and friction, and the most important reason is that the majority of them are environmentally friendly. This paper reviews the tribological effect of various nanoparticles as lubricant additives. Parameters of nanoparticles that affect tribological performance, the technique to enhance stability, and lubrication mechanism that is currently believed to function will be delineated in detail. Moreover, this review facilitates an understanding of the role of various nanoparticles, which helps in developing and designing suitable nanolubricants for various applications.

As non-renewable conventional fossil fuel sources are depleting day by day, researchers are continually finding new ways of producing and utilizing alternative, renewable, and reliable fuels. Due to conventional technologies, the environment has been degraded seriously, which profoundly impacts life on earth. To reduce the emissions caused by running the compression ignition engines, waste cooking oil (WCO) biodiesel is one of the best alternative fuels locally available in all parts of the world. Different study results are reviewed with a clear focus on combustion, performance, and emission characteristics, and the impact on engine durability. Moreover, the environmental and economic impacts are also reviewed in this study. When determining the combustion characteristics of WCO biodiesel, the cylinder peak pressure value increases and the heat release rate and ignition delay period decreases. In performance characteristics, brake-specific fuel consumption increases while brake-specific energy consumption, brake power, and torque decrease. WCO biodiesel cuts down the emissions value by 85% due to decreased hydrocarbon, SO₂, CO, and smoke emissions in the exhaust that will effectively save the environment. However, CO₂ and NO_x generally increase when compared to diesel. The overall economic impact of production on the utilization of this resource is also elaborated. The results show that the use of WCO biodiesel is technically, economically, environmentally, and tribologically appropriate for any diesel engine.

Energy is essential for the nature of life and the development of countries. The main demand for the 21st century is to fulfill growing energy needs. Pakistan, through the use of fossil fuels, meets energy demands. There is pressure on the economy of the country due to the massive reliance on fossil fuels, and this tendency is influenced by various environmental impacts. To overcome the burden on fossil fuels, more attention has been drawn to provide fossil fuel substitution. Tire pyrolysis is among the effective substitutes of the fuel technology that generates useful products of liquid oil, char, and pyro gas. This research focuses on the environmental, social, and economic viability of tire pyrolysis oil in Pakistan. This study estimates the production and potential of tire pyrolysis oil (TPO) in Pakistan. Based on the calculations, the potential of tire pyrolysis oil production in Pakistan from 2015–2019 is 468,081 to 548,406 tons. The potential production of TPO in 2018–2019 was ~8.30% of the total import (6.6 million tons) of crude oil. Therefore, tire pyrolysis oil is considered an alternative fuel representing an economic and environmentally viability solution for Pakistan.

An effective analytical technique for biomass characterisation is inevitable for biomass utilisation in energy production. To improve biomass processing, various thermal conversion methods such as torrefaction, pyrolysis, combustion, hydrothermal liquefaction, and gasification have been widely used to improve biomass processing. Thermogravimetric analysers (TG) and gas chromatography (GC) are among the most fundamental analytical techniques utilised in biomass thermal analysis. Thus, GC and TG, in combination with MS, FTIR, or two-dimensional analysis, were used to examine the key parameters of biomass feedstock and increase the productivity of energy crops. We can also determine the optimal ratio for combining two separate biomass or coals during co-pyrolysis and co-gasification to achieve the best synergetic relationship. This review discusses thermochemical conversion processes such as torrefaction, combustion, hydrothermal liquefaction, pyrolysis, and gasification. Then, the thermochemical conversion of biomass using TG and GC is discussed in detail. The usual emphasis on the various applications of biomass or bacteria is also discussed in the comparison of the TG and GC. Finally, this study investigates the application of technologies for analysing the composition and developed gas from the thermochemical processing of biomass feedstocks.

The demand for alternative fuels has risen in recent years due to the economic and environmental consequences of conventional fuels. In addition to engine characteristics, i.e., performance, combustion, and emission the lubricity of the considered fuel is an important parameter for its selection. This experimental study shows the tribological performance of the tire pyrolysis oil by using the four-ball tester. Waste tire pyrolysis oil was purified by using the distillation process. The experiment was conducted over 300 s at 40, 50, 63, and 80 kg load, 1800 rpm constant speed, and 27 °C temperature of all fuels on the ASTM D2266 standard. The tribological performance of the tire pyrolysis oil was compared with the BT10 (biodiesel 90%–tire pyrolysis oil 10%) and BT20 (biodiesel 80%–tire pyrolysis oil 20%) and biodiesel. The optical microscope is used to measure the wear scar diameter and then it is examined through a scanning electron microscope. In terms of greater load-carrying capacity, tire pyrolysis oil shows better anti-wear behaviour compared to biodiesel fuel. The wear scar diameter of BT10, BT20, and tire pyrolysis oil was 23.99%, 8.37%, and 32.62%, respectively, lower than the biodiesel fuel at 80 kg load. The SEM micrographs revealed that tire pyrolysis oil and BT10 displayed lower wear as compared to counterparts. Finally, it is concluded that BT10 is the most suitable fuel in terms of tribological performance.