Ionic liquid additives for mixed and elastohydrodynamic lubrication
Author(s)
Yang, Shuyan
Wong, J
Zhou, Feng
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs), both as pure lubricants and lubricant additives, have been demonstrated extensively to exhibit excellent tribological performance in terms of friction and wear reduction in the boundary lubrication (BL) regime. Since engineering contacts experience boundary and mixed, as well as full film lubrication depending on operating conditions, it is crucial to examine if lubrication regimes other BL regime can also benefit from the use of ILs. The objective of this work is to investigate the tribological performance of IL additives in the mixed lubrication (ML) and the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) regimes. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as the base fluid. ILs were synthesized in situ by dissolving lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) in PEG. Friction and film thickness measurements were employed to investigate the effectiveness of IL additives at room temperature, 60°C and 80°C; at various loads and slide-roll ratios (SRRs). The effect of IL additives on the rheological behavior of PEG was also investigated. The EHL film thickness increases with increasing IL concentration. EHL friction is however only mildly affected by IL additives. In the ML regime, IL additives can reduce friction and metal wear as compared to pure PEG in mild conditions. It is conjectured that IL forms sacrificial layers and protects the rubbing surfaces.
Date Issued
2018-04-30
Date Acceptance
2017-12-29
Citation
Tribology Transactions, 2018, 61 (5), pp.816-826
ISSN
1040-2004
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Start Page
816
End Page
826
Journal / Book Title
Tribology Transactions
Volume
61
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Taylor & Francis. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant Number
EP/L023202/1
Subjects
0913 Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering & Transports
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-02-08