Tribological performance of graphene oxide water-based nanofluid electrostatic atomization

Water-based nanofluid electrostatic atomization demonstrates excellent cooling and lubrication properties along with environmental friendliness, showcasing significant application potential in sustainable machining processes. Although investigating its tribological behavior is crucial for its practical application, the work remains scarce. This study explored the tribological characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) water-based nanofluid electrostatic atomization with different GO volume fractions and flow rates through sliding friction trials involving carbide thin slices and steel discs. By starting from the electrostatic atomization principle and incorporating the current and contact angle measurements of charged droplets, the mechanisms by which GO volume fraction and flow rate affected tribological performance were analyzed. The results indicated that the optimal parameters for achieving superior comprehensive tribological performance were a voltage of - 7.5 kV, a GO volume fraction of 0.1%, and a flow rate of 15 ml/h. In contrast to electrostatic atomization using deionized water, these parameters resulted in reductions of 19.55-22.56% in the average friction coefficient, 30.99-44.32% in the wear loss of carbide thin slices, and 2.63-8.99% and 62.35-80.21% in the wear track width and depth on the steel discs.