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Ultralow Boundary Lubrication Friction by Three-Way Synergistic Interactions among Ionic Liquid, Friction Modifier,
Weimin Li1,2, Chanaka Kumara2, Huimin Luo3
1State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 20, 2020
Summary
Ionic liquids (ILs) as antiwear additives can improve lubricant performance. A protic IL synergized with other additives for ultralow friction, unlike aprotic ILs which caused detrimental effects.
Area of Science:
- Tribology
- Lubricant Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Lubricant performance relies on interactions between antiwear additives (AWs), friction modifiers (FMs), and dispersants.
- Understanding these component compatibilities is crucial for developing advanced lubricants.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the compatibility of three oil-soluble ionic liquids (ILs) as candidate AWs with molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC, FM) and polyisobutene succinimide (PIBSI, dispersant).
- Determine the effects of IL chemistry on tribological performance under boundary lubrication conditions.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated the tribological performance of lubricant formulations containing different ILs, MoDTC, and PIBSI.
- Analyzed the interactions between ILs, MoDTC, and PIBSI using tribochemical analysis and surface characterization.
Main Results:
- Aprotic phosphonium-based ILs showed detrimental effects on friction and wear, attributed to PIBSI interactions that hindered MoDTC suspension.
- A protic ammonium-based IL demonstrated synergistic effects with MoDTC and PIBSI, resulting in sustainable ultralow boundary friction.
- Proposed a three-stage tribochemical mechanism for the protic IL + MoDTC system forming protective tribofilms.
Conclusions:
- The chemistry of ionic liquids significantly impacts their compatibility with other lubricant additives.
- Protic ILs offer a promising avenue for developing high-performance lubricants with ultralow friction and wear.
- Findings provide fundamental insights for guiding the formulation of next-generation lubricants.
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