Abstract
Friction properties of carbon nanotubes have been widely studied and reported, however, the friction properties of carbon nanotubes related on state of itself. It is showing superlubricity under nanoscale, but indicates high shear adhesion as aligned carbon nanotube film. However, friction properties under high load (which is commonly in industry) of carbon nanotube films are seldom reported. In this paper, carbon nanotube films, via mechanical rubbing method, were obtained and its tribology properties were investigated at high load of 5 to 15 N. Though different couple pairs were employed, the friction coefficients of carbon nanotube films are nearly the same. Compared with bare stainless steel, friction coefficients and wear rates under carbon nanotube films lubrication reduced to, at least, 1/5 and 1/(4.3–14.5), respectively. Friction test as well as structure study were carried out to reveal the mechanism of the significant reduction wear and friction on steel surface. One can conclude that sliding and densifying of carbon nanotubes at sliding interface contribute to the sufficient decrease of friction coefficients and wear rates.
Highlights
Bin Zhang and Yong Xue contributed to this paper1 R&D Center of Lubricating and Protecting Materials, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, People’s Republic of ChinaAlmost one-third of energy that human used every day is consumed and wasted by friction on moving parts of kinds of machines
CNTs are assembled to form dense film mixed with some amorphous structure, i.e., the rubbing force destroyed some of carbon nanotubes in rubbing process (Fig. 2b)
The results indicates that the CNTs film could effectively reduce the friction coefficient of the stainless steel
Summary
Kis et al (2006) reported that multiwall carbon nanotubes shown ultralow friction between nanotube shells. Such ultralow friction or superlubricity properties, recently, is confirmed by Zhang et al (2013) in centimeters-long double-walled carbon nanotubes under ambient conditions. Rolling and sliding of carbon nanotubes were studied by two different groups (Buldum and Lu 1999; Falvo et al.1999), Appl Nanosci (2017) 7:835–842 shown that rolling is more easy than that sliding, but rolling or not, depending on the potential energy barriers (which may be influenced interaction force to the substrates) (Lucas et al 2009; Qu et al 2003). There is no any report about friction properties under high load which is commonly conditions in industry
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