Vladimir Pejaković

How anion and cation species influence the tribology of a green lubricant based on ionic liquids

A group of halide-free ionic liquids involving two different anions (methyl sulfate and methyl sulfonate) and four types of cations (short-chain tetraalkylammonium, dialkylpyrrolidinium, choline, and methoxycholine) were investigated as 2.5 wt% additives in glycerol as a model base fluid, yielding highly biodegradable polar lubricants for study of ionic liquid interaction with a substrate. The results were compared to the behavior of conventional bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Tf2N]) ionic liquids with identical counter-ions. The neat ionic liquids (100 wt%) were tested in identical manner and compared to the behavior when they operate as additives. Tribotests were performed in a ball-on-disc configuration under boundary conditions, by lubricating steel–steel couples at room temperature and at 100°C. Wear reduction was achieved for all temperatures, and the results were strongly anion-dominated, with good results for methyl sulfates and the [Tf2N] references. Particularly for higher temperatures, ionic liquids were also able to reduce friction by a substantial amount, with a clear order between the individual anions, and the lowest values were again obtained for methyl sulfates. Cationic influence on the test results was found to be subordinate for both temperatures. It could be recognized that at elevated temperatures, the newly formulated lubricants containing an ionic liquid as an additive behaved similarly to neat ionic liquids in terms of friction and wear reduction. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses, the formation of a beneficial iron sulfide film was detected, with the sulfur originating from the sulfate of the ionic liquid, presumably as a result of a redox reaction with metallic iron. For this mechanism, a hypothesis for possible reaction pathways was developed.

Pyrrolidinium sulfate and ammonium sulfate ionic liquids as lubricant additives for steel/steel contact lubrication

In this work, we report on the BuMepyr-MeSO4 and Et3MeN-MeSO4 ionic liquids that were synthesized and used as additives in a glycerol model lubricant for steel/steel contacts. Tests were performed with three different ionic liquid concentrations, i.e. 0.625 wt%, 2.5 wt% and 8 wt%, as well as in glycerol without any ionic liquid (neat glycerol) and in neat ionic liquids (100%) at 100 °C. The wear and friction were measured and the worn surfaces were examined with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results show a reduction of the wear and friction with the use of ionic liquids as additives, when compared to the neat glycerol. With an increasing ionic-liquid concentration in the glycerol, the friction was observed to decrease and the wear to increase. In this work, however, the results obtained for neat ionic liquids represent the lowest values in terms of both friction and wear.