In-situ formation of nitrogen doped microporous carbon nanospheres derived from polystyrene as lubricant additives for anti-wear and friction reduction

This study presents a nitrogen-doped microporous carbon nanospheres(N@MCNs)prepared by a facile polymerization–carbonization process using low-cost styrene.The N element in situ introduces polystyrene(PS)nanospheres via emulsion polymerization of styrene with cyanuric chloride as crosslinking agent,and then carbonization obtains N@MCNs.The as-prepared carbon nanospheres possess the complete spherical structure and adjustable nitrogen amount by controlling the relative proportion of tetrachloromethane and cyanuric chloride.The friction performance of N@MCNs as lubricating oil additives was surveyed utilizing the friction experiment of ball-disc structure.The results showed that N@MCNs exhibit superb reduction performance of friction and wear.When the addition of N@MCNs was 0.06 wt%,the friction coefficient of PAO-10 decreased from 0.188 to 0.105,and the wear volume reduced by 94.4%.The width and depth of wear marks of N@MCNs decreased by 49.2% and 94.5%,respectively.The carrying capacity of load was rocketed from 100 to 400 N concurrently.Through the analysis of the lubrication mechanism,the result manifested that the prepared N@MCNs enter clearance of the friction pair,transform the sliding friction into the mixed friction of sliding and rolling,and repair the contact surface through the repair effect.Furthermore,the tribochemical reaction between nanoparticles and friction pairs forms a protective film containing nitride and metal oxides,which can avert direct contact with the matrix and improve the tribological properties.This experiment showed that nitrogen-doped polystyrene-based carbon nanospheres prepared by in-situ doping are the promising materials for wear resistance and reducing friction.This preparing method can be ulteriorly expanded to multi-element co-permeable materials.Nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon nanospheres(B,N@MCNs)were prepared by mixed carbonization of N-enriched PS and boric acid,and exhibited high load carrying capacity and good tribological properties.

Surface Modified TiO2 Nanoparticles-an Effective Anti-wear and Anti-friction Additive for Lubricating Grease

The surface modified TiO_2 nanoparticles were prepared by using 12-hydroxystearic acid chemically modified on the TiO_2 surface. The average size of the TiO_2 particles is about 30 nm. The optimum ratio of tetrabutyl titanate to 12-hydroxystearic acid was 1/0.5. The bonding form between 12-hydroxystearic acid and TiO_2 nucleus was investigated by FTIR, DSC, TGA and XRD techniques. The lubricating grease containing the surface modified TiO_2 nanoparticles possesses excellent anti-wear and anti-friction properties. Compared with the grease without TiO_2, the PB value can be increased by 52% as the best performance of the grease containing surface modified TiO_2 nanoparticles, while the friction coefficient can be reduced by 33% with the addition of a small amount of TiO_2 nanoparticles, and meanwhile the wear scar diameter decreases by 25%.

Novel concept of nano-additive design:PTFE@silica Janus nanoparticles for water lubrication

Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)has been widely used as a lubrication additive for reducing friction and wear;however,the hydrophobic nature of PTFE restricts its application in eco-friendly water-based lubrication systems.In this study,for the first time,we designed novel PTFE@silica Janus nanoparticles(JNs)to meet the requirement for additives in water-based lubricants,which have excellent dispersion stability in water attributed to the unique amphiphilic structure.By introducing the lubrication of the aqueous dispersion of the JNs with a concentration of 0.5 wt%,the coefficient of friction(COF)and wear volume were reduced by 63.8%and 94.2%,respectively,comparing to those with the lubrication of pure water.Meanwhile,the JNs suspension also exhibits better lubrication and wear-resistance performances comparing to commercial silica and PTFE suspensions.The excellent tribological behaviors of PTFE@silica JNs as nano-additives could be attributed to the synergetic effect of the two components,where the PTFE provided lubrication through the formed tribofilms on the friction pairs,and the rigid silica further enhanced the wear-resistance performance.Most importantly,the unique structure of JNs makes it possible to use PTFE as an additive in water-lubrication systems.Our study shed light on the design and application of novel JNs nanomaterials as additives to meet the requirements of future industrial applications.

Study on Tribology Performance of Different Lubricant Additives under Atmospheric Pressure and High Vacuum Conditions

By using PAO-10 as the base oil, the tribological behavior of 11 additives under high vacuum condition was evaluated. By adopting some surface analytical instruments, such as scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), the tribological mechanisms of these additives were studied. In air, O_2 can react with metal to form metal oxide that can protect the surfaces of rubbing pair during the tribological tests. According to the theory of the competitive adsorption, the function of some active elements is weakened. In a vacuum environment, the additives contributed more to the lubrication performance. The sulfur-containing additives could react with Fe to produce Fe Sx and "M—C" bonds("M" represents metal). They both had contributions to the lubrication. As for the phosphorus-containing additives, they only generated the phosphates during the tests. When the sulfur and phosphorus-containing additives were applied, the generated phosphates and Fe Sx had the primary contribution to the lubrication performance during the tests.

Isosteric design of friction-reduction and anti-wear lubricant additives with less sulfur content

To reduce harmful sulfur content in lubricant additives, making use of isosterism has been shown to be an effective strategy. When thiobenzothiazole compounds were used as templates, the exchange of sulfur atoms in the thiazole ring with oxygen atoms and NH groups produced twelve isosteres. Similarly, 2-benzothiazole- S-carboxylic acid esters were used as template molecules to produce six isosteres. About 30% of the isosteres exhibited a satisfactory deviation of ±5% relative to the template, ignoring the specific changes in the base oils, the differences in molecular structure, and the friction or wear properties. The template molecules and isosteres in triisodecyl trimellitate exhibited better tribological properties than in trimethylolpropane trioleate or bis(2- ethylhexyl) adipate. Comparative molecular field analysis(CoM FA)- and comparative molecular similarity index analysis(CoMSIA)-quantitative structure tribo-ability relationship(QSTR) models were employed to study the correlation of molecular structures between the base oils and additives. The models indicate that the higher the structural similarities of the base oils and additives are, the more synergetic the molecular force fields of the lubricating system are; the molecular force fields creating synergistic effects will improve tribological performance.

Preparation and Tribological Properties of Lanthanum-doped Muscovite Composite Particles as Lubricant Additives in Lithium Grease

Lanthanum-doped muscovite(MC) composite particles(hereinafter abbreviated as La-MC) were prepared by the mechanical solid-state-chemistry-reaction method, followed by surface modification with oleic acid. The microstructure of materials was characterized by SEM, XRD, EDS and FTIR. Furthermore, the friction-reduction and anti-wear properties of MC and La-MC as lubricant additives in lithium grease were evaluated using a four-ball friction and wear tester. The results showed that La(OH)_3 nanoparticles were coated on the surface of muscovite. Both MC and La-MC can effectively improve the friction-reduction and anti-wear properties of lithium grease and La-MC presents better tribological properties than MC. The excellent tribological properties of La-MC can be attributed to the formation of the adsorbed La-MC film and the chemical reaction film mainly composed of Fe_2O_3 and SiO_2 on the worn surface, as well as the catalysis of lanthanum element during the friction process.

Study on application of CeO_2 and CaCO_3 nanoparticles in lubricating oils

The ceria （CeO2） nanoparticles and calcium carbonate （CaCO3） nanoparticles were chosen as additives of anti-wear and extreme pressure for lubricating oils, and the morphology and sizes of nanoparticles were examined using Transmission Electron Microscope （TEM）. The tribological performance of lubricating oils containing combined nanoparticles were determined by four-ball friction and wear tester, and the chemical composition of steel ball with worn surface were analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectrurn（XPS）. The results showed that the lubricating oils containing combined nanoparticles had good anti-wear and friction reducing effects, and the tribological properties were optimal when WCeO2＋CaCO3=0.6%, WCeO2：WCaCO3=1：1. The extreme pressure value increased by 40.25%, the wear spot diameter reduced by 33.5%, and friction coefficient reduced by 32% compared with 40CD oil. The coordinated action of big and small particles made anti-wear and friction reducing effective. Tribological chemical reactions resulting from the friction surface formed metal calcium, metal cerium and oxides film, and they could fill up the concave surface and protect the worn surface.

A review of current understanding in tribochemical reactions involving lubricant additives

Lubricants have played important roles in friction and wear reduction and increasing efficiency of mechanical systems.To optimize tribological performance,chemical reactions between a lubricant and a substrate must be designed strategically.Tribochemical reactions are chemical reactions enabled or accelerated by mechanical stimuli.Tribochemically activated lubricant additives play important roles in these reactions.In this review,current understanding in mechanisms of chemical reactions under shear has been discussed.Additives such as oil-soluble organics,ionic liquids(ILs),and nanoparticles(NPs)were analyzed in relation to the tribochemical reaction routes with elements in metallic substrates.The results indicated that phosphorus,sulfur,fluorine,and nitrogen are key elements for tribochemical reactions.The resulting tribofilms from zinc dithiophosphates(ZDDP)and molybdenum dithiocarbamate(MoDTC)have been widely reported,yet that from ILs and NPs need to investigate further.This review serves as a reference for researchers to design and optimize new lubricants.

Numeric Study on Skin Friction Reduction of Engine Oil-WS2 Nanofluid by MRT Lattice Boltzman Method

New lubricants use nanoparticles like WS2 to improve lubrication performance.The aim of the present study is to determine numerically the skin friction of nanofluid on moving surfaces in a lubricating system.The base fluid is 5W-30 engine oil and the nano-additive is WS2 nanoparticles.This numerical study is based on the multiple-relaxation-time Lattice Boltzmann method(MRT-LBM).The two-dimensional nine-velocity(D2Q9)model is adopted to simulate the nanofluid flow confined by two moving surfaces.The parameters considered are the nanoparticle concentration􀟮and the flow Reynolds number Re.The results obtained show a reduction of skin friction factor when we increase the nanoparticle concentration.

Combined effect of WS_(2) and Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene favors oil-based ultra-low friction on rough steel-steel interface at elevated temperatures

The lubrication performance of liquids is severely restricted and is degraded in high-temperature environments. Stable and reliable lubrication in high temperature environments has been a long-standing goal in various industrial fields. In this study,WS_(2)and Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene nanoflakes were used as oil-based lubricant additives to generate ultra-low friction and even superlubricity(friction coefficient of ~0.007) at elevated temperatures(400℃), which has hitherto not been achieved by both individual pristine materials, WS_(2)and Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene. Viscosity and thermogravimetric characterization revealed improvements in the high-temperature rheological properties and thermal stability of the lubricating base oil, indicating improved loadbearing and continuous lubrication capabilities at elevated temperatures. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy demonstrated that the formation of an iron/titanium/tungsten-rich oxide lubricious thin film at the sliding interface reduced the interfacial shear stress, which was responsible for the observed friction and wear reductions at high contact pressures(> 1.1 GPa). Although the titanium/tungsten oxide film was gradually removed after prolonged sliding, a sufficiently thick iron oxide film maintained a low friction coefficient for at least 2 h. The improved surface quality facilitates the achievement of ultra-low friction and reduced wear. The proposed lubrication methodology has a broad utilization potential as a wear-reduction strategy across various industrial fields at elevated temperatures.

Lubrication of dry sliding metallic contacts by chemically prepared functionalized graphitic nanoparticles

Understanding the mechanism of precision sliding contacts with thin, adherent solid nano lubricating particle films is important to improve friction and wear behavior and ensure mechanical devices have long service lifetimes. Herein, a facile and multistep approach for the preparation of graphene oxide (GO) is presented. Subsequently, surface modification of as-synthesized GO with octadecyl amine (ODA) is performed to prepare hydrophobic GO-ODA and with 6-amino-4-hydroxy-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) to prepare amphoteric GO-ANS through a nucleophilic addition reaction. X-ray diffraction and ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopy provide significant information about the reduction of oxygen functionalities on GO and the introduction of new functionalities in GO-ODA and GO-ANS. The effects of particle functionalization for the improved control of particle adhesion to the tribocontact have been studied. Wettability and thermal stability were determined using the water contact angle, and atomic force microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize particle adhesion to the tribocontact. The tribological performances of the particles have been investigated using macro- and micro-tribometry using pin/ball-on-disc contact geometries. The influence of particle functionalization on the contact pressure and sliding velocity was also studied under rotating and reciprocating tribo-contact in ambient conditions. With an increase in the contact pressure, the functionalized particles are pushed down into the contact, and they adhere to the substrate to form a continuous film that eventually reduces friction. Amphoteric GO-ANS provides the lowest and most steady coefficient of friction (COF) under all tested conditions along with low wear depth and minimal plastic deformation. This is because particles with superior wetting and thermal properties can have better adherence to and stability on the surface. GO-ANS has a superior ability to adhere on the track to form a thicker and more continuous film at the interface, which is investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Raman analysis.

Study of tribological properties of ecofriendly lubricant additives derived from leaf-surface waxes

Three kinds of leaf-surface waxes are extracted from the leaves of Euonymus japonicas(EJ), Sabina chinensis(SC) and Sabina procumbens(SP) to be tested for their tribological properties. Lubricating oils containing these 3 waxes respectively were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometer(GC-MS) for their chemical constituents and tested with friction and wear testing machine and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry(TOF-SIMS) for the tribological mechanism. It was found that all the tested cuticular wax can reduce the coefficient of friction, and the waxes of SC and EJ can reduce the wear width. The contents of acid and esters in the wax can improve the friction reducing property by forming tribochemical films on the metal, but result in the increase of wear due to corrosion. The increase of ions containing C, H, O and the decline of aluminum positive ions on the worn surface,demonstrate that the tribofilms derived from long chain compounds play a role of protecting the metal surfaces.

A comparative study between graphene oxide and diamond nanoparticles as water-based lubricating additives

The tribological properties of graphene oxide(GO) nanosheets and modified diamond(MD) nanoparticles with excellent water-solubility were investigated.GO nanosheets were synthesized using carbon fibers with a regular and uniform size,the lateral size being around 30 nm and the thickness being 2 or 3 nm,while MD nanoparticles were about 30 nm in the three dimensions.The friction properties of ceramics were improved by GO nanosheets or MD nanoparticles used as additives in water-based lubrication,though the effects of two nanoparticles were quite different.For GO nanosheets,the friction coefficient at the beginning decreased sharply from 0.6 to 0.1,as compared with the dionized water lubrication.At the same time,the running-in period was shortened from 2000 s to 250 s.A steady state characterized by ultralow friction(friction coefficient=0.01) was obtained after the running-in period.In the case of MD nanoparticles,the friction coefficient stayed at 0.1 without further decrease during the whole experiment.Based on the observation of wear scar and characterization of remains on the wear track,the positive effect of GO nanosheets was attributed to their lamellar structure and geometric size.MD nanoparticles reduced friction by forming the regularly grained surface on the mating surfaces,and prevented further reduction in steady-state friction coefficient owing to their larger size and hardness.In conclusion,GO nanosheets exhibited favorable potential as an effective additive for water-based lubrication.

Synthesis of water-soluble Cu nanoparticles and evaluation of their tribological properties and thermal conductivity as a water-based additive

Efficient and sustainable use of water-based lubricants is essential for energy efficiency.Therefore,the use of water-lubricated mechanical systems instead of conventional oil lubricants is extremely attractive from the viewpoint of resource conservation.In this study,water-soluble Cu nanoparticles of size approximately 3 nm were prepared at room temperature(around 25 °C) via in-situ surface modification.The tribological behavior of the as-synthesized Cu nanoparticles as an additive in distilled water was evaluated using a universal micro-tribotester.The results show that the as-synthesized Cu nanoparticles,as a water-based lubricant additive,can significantly improve the tribological properties of distilled water.In particular,the lowest friction coefficient of 0.06 was obtained via lubrication with a concentration of 0.6 wt% of Cu nanoparticles in distilled water,which is a reduction of 80.6% compared with that obtained via lubrication with distilled water alone.It is considered that some Cu nanoparticles entered the contact area of the friction pairs to form a complex lubricating film and prevent direct contact of the friction pairs.Furthermore,some Cu nanoparticles in the solution accelerate the heat transfer process,which also results in good tribological properties.

Synthesis and surface modification of the nanoscale cerium borate as lubricant additive

Nanoparticle of cerium borate with a size of about 50 nm was synthesized via sol-gel precipitation method under micro-emulsion by oleic acid,using Na2B4O7 and Ce（NO3）3 aqueous solution as raw materials,and the morphology and microstructure of as-prepared particles were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy（SEM） equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer（EDS）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）,infrared spectroscopy（IR）,and thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）.Two methods to disperse the particles into base oil were employed,and the results derived from the four-ball tribotester indicated that the friction coefficient of the base oil by the addition of the nanoscale cerium borate particles diminished greatly,and the anti-wear properties also depended on the dispersion methods.

Leaf-surface wax of desert plants as a potential lubricant additive

Using an MFT-R4000 tester at room temperature,the leaf-surface wax of two desert plants,Ammopiptanthus mongolicus(AM)and Reaumuria soongorica(RS),was extracted and evaluated for its potential as a lubricant additive in polyalphaolefin(PAO)for steel-steel contact.Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was performed to identify the composition of the AM leaf-surface wax,and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to investigate its friction mechanisms.The results suggest that the leaf-surface wax could successfully reduce the friction and wear of steel-steel sliding pairs compared with PAO containing molybdenum dithiocarbamate additives.AM,in particular,showed high-performance wear resistance and friction-reducing properties.Its excellent tribological properties were attributed to the wax composition of leaf-surface fatty acids,alcohol,and esters.

Lubricating performances of graphene oxide and onion-like carbon as water-based lubricant additives for smooth and sand-blasted steel discs

Graphene oxide(GO)nanosheets and onion‐like carbon(OLC)nanoparticles were synthesized from natural graphite powder and candle soot,respectively,and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.The lubricating performances of GO and OLC as lubricant additives in water were comparatively evaluated using a ball‐on‐disc tribometer.The effects of sand blasting of a steel disc on its morphology and tribological property were evaluated.The results show that the two nanomaterials,GO and OLC,when used as lubricant additives in water effectively reduce the friction and wear of the sliding discs,which is independent of the disc surface treatment.On applying heavy loads,it is observed that GO exhibits superior friction‐reducing and anti‐wear abilities compared to those of OLC—a trace amount of GO can achieve a lubricating ability equivalent to that of an abundant amount of OLC.Furthermore,it is observed that sand blasting cannot improve the wear resistance of the treated steel disc,even though the hardness of the disc increased after the treatment.The possible anti‐wear and friction‐reducing mechanisms of the GO and OLC as lubricant additives in water are discussed based on results for the wear surfaces obtained by scanning electron microscopy,Raman spectroscopy,and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy。

Investigation on tribological behaviors of MoS2 and WS2 quantum dots as lubricant additives in ionic liquids under severe conditions

Despite excellent tribological behaviors of ionic liquids (ILs) as lubricating oils, their friction-reducing and anti-wear properties must be improved when they are used under severe conditions. There are only a few reports exploring additives for ILs. Here, MoS2 and WS2 quantum dots (QDs, with particle size less than 10 nm) are prepared via a facile green technique, and they are dispersed in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm]PF6), forming homogeneous dispersions exhibiting long-term stabilities. Tribological test results indicate that the addition of MoS2 and WS2 QDs in the IL can significantly enhance the friction-reducing and anti-wear abilities of the neat IL under a constant load of 500 N and a temperature of 150 °C. The exceptional tribological properties of these additives in the IL are ascribed to the formation of protective films, which are produced not only by the physical absorption of MoS2 and WS2 QDs at the steel/steel contact surfaces, but also by the tribochemical reaction between MoS2 or WS2 and the iron atoms/iron oxide species.

Preparation and Tribological Properties of Cu-doped Muscovite Composite Particles as Lubricant Additive

Cu-doped muscovite（Mu） composite particles, abbreviated as Mu/Cu, were prepared via liquid phase reduction method. The morphologies, phase composition and elementary distribution of the as-prepared Mu/Cu and raw muscovite particles were characterized by means of scalmmg electron microscope（SEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and energy dispersive spectrometry（EDS）. The tirbological properties of Mu/Cu and Mu as lubricant additives in lithium grease were evaluated on a block-ring tribomachine. The roughness, 2D and 3D morphologies and elementary distribution of block worn surface were analyzed to explore the tribogical mechanism. The results show that muscovite are evenly coated by the cubic Cu nanoparticles in composite particles. Both Mu/Cu and Mu can effectively improve the tirbological properties of lithium grease and Mu/Cu exhibits better tribological performance than Mu. The friction coefficient of Mu/Cu is decreased by 69.2% as compared to that of lithium grease. The layer structure of muscovite is synergistic with Cu nanoparticles in contribution to the formation of lubricant film mainly consisting of O, Si, Fe, Cu as well as Al elements on the block worn surface thereby further reducing the friction and wear.