Tribological properties of alkyl and hydroxyl groups on the imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids.

Song, Yanxin; Xia, Yanqiu; Liu, Haiyan; Jia, Zhengfeng

ABSTRACT We present an investigation of effect of alkyl chain length and hydroxyl group functionalisation on the tribological properties of imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids. Four kinds of hydroxyl-functionalised ionic liquids with the alkyl chain of C1-C10 were synthesised, and the relationships between their structure and physicochemical properties such as viscosity, thermal stability and corrosion, before and after incorporation of a hydroxyl group, were measured. In particular, the studies on their lubrication properties as ionic liquid (IL) lubricants for steel-steel contacts, including the friction coefficient, the wear volume and so on, were particularly emphasised. Moreover, an in-depth exploration about the function mechanism and failure mode of the ILs during the friction process were studied using the scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope technologies, and a proposed interaction model between ILs and steel substrate was presented. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

IMIDAZOLES; TETRAFLUOROBORATES; IONIC liquids; LUBRICATION & lubricants; THERMAL stability; VISCOSITY

Lubrication Science, 2013, Vol 25, Issue 6, p413

0954-0075

Academic Journal

10.1002/ls.1211