Investigation of the Stability and Tribological Performance of Ionic Nanoliquids

ABSTRACT

In previous studies, nanoparticles and ionic liquids (ILs) have been used separately as oil additives and have been shown to reduce friction and wear. In this study, the stability and tribological performance of ionic nanoliquids (INLs), which combine nanoparticles and miscible ionic liquids together as oil additives, were investigated. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were dispersed in a mixture of polyalphaolefin (PAO) oil and ionic liquid (tetradecyltrihexylphosphonium bis (2,4,4-trimethylpentyl phosphinate)) using an ultrasonic homogenizer. The coefficient of friction was studied using a tribometer with a ball-on-disk configuration. The wear track was measured using a Bruker Contour GT-K Optical Profiler and the wear volume was calculated. The effects of concentration and load on the coefficient of friction and wear were investigated. The effects of ultrasonic mixing time and nanoparticle concentration on the stability of the solutions were also studied.

KEYWORDS:

• Ionic liquid
• nanoparticles
• wear
• friction
• stability

Funding

This program was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC-1004915. Additional support was provided by the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Oakland University.