Tuning the tribological property with thermal sensitive microgels for aqueous lubrication

Thermoresponsive microgels, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PNIPAAm-g-PEG), were synthesized via emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization and the tribological property as water lubricating additive was studied. The microgels had good thermoresponsive collapse/swelling performance with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) ca. 38.4 °C. The rheological characterization and tribological tests showed that the microgels had a good lubricating performance in aqueous lubrication through interfacial physisorption and hydration lubrication, but the friction coefficient was impacted by temperature (below and above LCST). The tunable thermosensitive tribological property was attributed to the hydrophobic interaction and the enhanced interfacial absorption, which were both triggered by the elevated temperature. Furthermore, in order to avoid the water erosion in aqueous lubrication, the microgels were used together with 1H-benzotriazoles (BTA). Because of the good antifriction and anticorrosion property of BTA and the interplay between microgels and BTA, the microgels/BTA exhibited a synergistic effect in aqueous lubrication and the tribological property was more sensitive around the LCST. The present work is beneficial to understanding the tribological property of responsive microgels in aqueous lubrication and provides a novel approach for achieving low-friction through soft matters.