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Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube-Imidazolium Tosylate Ionic Liquid Lubricant

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Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were added in a 0.5 wt% proportion to 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium room temperature ionic liquids (IL) The new IL + MWCNTs dispersions obtained by mechanical grinding were used as lubricants of the polycarbonate (PC) disc/AISI 316L stainless steel pin contact, and their tribological performance compared with that of the corresponding IL. The highest friction reduction at 0.98 N and 0.10 m s−1, of a 54 %, was obtained when MWCNT were added to 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate ([EMIM]Ts). The [EMIM]Ts + MWCNT dispersion was further characterised by rheological measurements, contact angle, DSC, TGA, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, TEM microscopy and XRD. The addition of MWCNTs increases the viscosity of the IL in a 50 % at room temperature and the wettability on the PC surface, while the IL increases the purity and alignment of the nanotubes. The variation of friction coefficient was determined under variable sliding velocity conditions. The higher friction reduction for [EMIM]Ts + MWCNT with respect to [EMIM]Ts is observed for sliding velocities higher than 0.075 m s−1. Under the experimental conditions, the surface damage on the PC and AISI 316L surfaces was negligible.

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Acknowledgments

M.D. Bermúdez wishes to express her gratitude to the organizers of the Chemistry and Physics in Tribology ACS Tribology Symposium. 244th ACS National Meeting Philadelphia, PA (USA) August 19–23, 2012, for their kind invitation. The authors are grateful for the financial support of this study by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, Spain) (MAT2011-23162).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Ciencia de Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica, Departamento de Ingeniería de Materiales y Fabricación, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Campus de la Muralla del Mar. C/Doctor Fleming, s/n, 30202, Cartagena, Spain

    Cayetano Espejo, Francisco-José Carrión, Daniel Martínez & María-Dolores Bermúdez

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  1. Cayetano Espejo
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  2. Francisco-José Carrión
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  4. María-Dolores Bermúdez
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Correspondence to María-Dolores Bermúdez.

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Espejo, C., Carrión, FJ., Martínez, D. et al. Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube-Imidazolium Tosylate Ionic Liquid Lubricant. Tribol Lett 50, 127–136 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-012-0082-x

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