Investigation on the tribological performance of functionalized nanoscale silica as an amphiphilic lubricant additive
Liang Hao, Peipei Li, Abdulrahman Aljabri, Huaying Li, Guangming Liu, Zhongliang Xie, Tuanjie Li
Abstract
In order to enhance tribological performance of both water-based and oil-based lubricant, the SiO2 nanoscale ionic liquid (NIL), an amphiphilic lubricant additive, was prepared by using a sulfuric acid terminated organo-silane as corona and polyether amine as canopy. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the SiO2 NIL and stability of the nanolubricants. A ball-on-disk tribometer was adopted to investigate the lubrication enhancement of the SiO2 NIL in both water-based and oil-based lubricants. The results show that the SiO2 NIL can reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear in these two lubricant groups, especially in the water-based lubricant. The lubrication mechanisms are ascribed to the polishing, ball bearing and mending effects of the SiO2 NIL.