Current research on room-temperature ionic liquids as lubricants is described. Ionic liquids possess excellent properties such as non-volatility, non-flammability, and thermo-oxidative stability. The potential use of ionic liquids as lubricants was first proposed in 2001 and approximately 70 articles pertaining to fundamental research on ionic liquids have been published through May 2009. A large majority of the cations examined in this area are derived from 1,3-dialkylimidazolium, with a higher alkyl group on the imidazolium cation being beneficial for good lubrication, while it reduces the thermo-oxidative stability. Hydrophobic anions provide both good lubricity and significant thermo-oxidative stability. The anions decompose through a tribochemical reaction to generate metal fluoride on the rubbed surface. Additive technology to improve lubricity is also explained. An introduction to tribology as an interdisciplinary field of lubrication is also provided.

Ionic liquids in tribology.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are finding technological applications as chemical reaction media and engineering fluids. Some emerging fields are those of lubrication, surface engineering and nanotechnology. ILs are thermally stable, non-flammable highly polar fluids with negligible volatility, these characteristics make them ideal candidates for new lubricants under severe conditions, were conventional oils and greases or solid lubricants fail. Such conditions include ultra-high vacuum and extreme temperatures. Other very promising areas which depend on the interaction between IL molecules and material surfaces are the use of ILs in the lubrication of microelectromechanic and nanoelectromechanic systems (MEMS and NEMS), the friction and wear reduction of reactive light alloys and the modification of nanophases.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/14/8/2888/pdf

Ionic liquids as advanced lubricant fluids.

Common industrial lubricants include natural and synthetic hydrocarbons and perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs), where the latter is widely used in commercial applications requiring extreme operating conditions due to their high temperature stability and extremely low vapor pressure. However, PFPEs exhibit low electrical conductivity, making them undesirable in some nanotechnology applications. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been explored as lubricants for various device applications due to their excellent electrical conductivity as well as good thermal conductivity, where the latter allows frictional heating dissipation. Since they do not emit volatile organic compounds, they are regarded as “green” lubricants. In this article, we review the different types of ILs and their physical properties responsible for lubrication. We also discuss their suitability as lubricants, since the long-term performance of ILs as lubricants may be affected by issues such as corrosion, oxidation, tribochemical reactions, and toxicity. We present nanotribological, electrical, and spectroscopic studies of IL films along with conventional tribological investigations, recognizing that understanding the tribological performance at various length scales is a crucial step in selecting and designing effective lubricants.

A Review of Ionic Liquids for Green Molecular Lubrication in Nanotechnology

Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Ionic Liquid-Based Interfaces

A new class of geminal dicationic ionic liquids was formed with a bridging moiety, such as a polyalkyl ether, polyfluoroalkyl, 1,4-bismethylenebenzene, or 1,4-bismethylene-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene link, between alkyl-substituted imidazolium rings. Their properties were modified by varying the linker chains and/or alkyl substituents on the imidazolium ring. The polyfluoroalkyl bridged dicationic ionic liquids exhibit the highest densities and viscosities. Although melting points are directly proportional to the length of the alkyl substituent, the densities decrease concomitantly. With 1,4-bismethylene-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene as the linking chain and with longer alkyl substituents on the imidazolium rings, the nonpolar character of the ionic liquid greatly increases, e.g., the solubilities in toluene of dicationic ionic liquids 36 and 37, where the ring substituents are C10H21 and C14H29, increase markedly. Some of the salts exhibit higher conductivities than an equimolar tetrabutylammonium iodide sol...

Polyfluoroalkyl, Polyethylene Glycol, 1,4-Bismethylenebenzene, or 1,4-Bismethylene-2,3,5,6-Tetrafluorobenzene Bridged Functionalized Dicationic Ionic Liquids: Synthesis and Properties as High Temperature Lubricants

Ionic liquids have properties that make them attractive as solvents for many chemical synthesis and catalysis reactions. Consequently, research has focused on their application as advanced solvents. Recently, ionic liquids were shown to have promise as a lubricant due to many of the same properties that make them useful as solvents. The focus of this paper is to study the surface chemistry of ionic liquid lubricated steel in sliding contact to temperatures from room to 300 °C. Tribological properties were evaluated using a pin on disk tribometer with high temperature capability (up to 800 °C). Chemistry was studied using Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Samples used for tribological evaluation were 1 inch diameter polished M50 disks. Samples used for studying the surface chemistry were enriched 57Fe grown via thermal evaporation. Some 57Fe samples were oxidized to Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 prior to treatment with ionic liquids. The metallic and oxidized 57Fe samples were then reacted with ionic liquids at elevated temperatures. Three ionic liquids were used in this study; 1-n-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BF4), 1,2-di-methyl-3-butylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (TFMS), and 1,2-di-methyl-3-butylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (PF6). This study was focused on understanding the high temperature stability of the liquids in contact with metal and under tribological stress. Therefore, the friction data was collected in the boundary (or mixed boundary/EHL) lubrication region to enhance surface contact. BF4 provided a friction coefficient of 0.04 for both the room and 100 °C tests and varied between 0.07 and 0.2 for the 300 °C test. The results from TFMS lubrication showed a friction coefficient of 0.025 at room temperature and 0.1 at 100 °C. The 300 °C test friction coefficient ranged between 0.1 and 0.3. Chemical analysis of the surface revealed corrosion of the surface due to reaction between the ionic liquids and steel/iron substrates.

G. John

Papers

Surface chemistry of fluorine containing ionic liquids on steel substrates at elevated temperature using Mössbauer spectroscopy