An ultralow-friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect and a preparation method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect and its preparation method, belonging to the field of lubricant technology. The ultra-low friction lubricating material system is composed of a base oil, an organometallic catalyst, and organic additives. The organometallic catalyst is at least one selected from ferrocene, cobalt carbonate, cobalt oxalate, copper acetate, and nickel oxalate. The organic additives are at least one selected from o-xylene, ethylene glycol, dodecanol, oleic acid, and tetraethyl orthosilicate. During friction, the organometallic catalyst releases metal ions, which, under the action of frictional heat and contact pressure, catalyze the base oil components to form a carbonaceous lubricating film in situ on the surface of the friction pair. The organic additives provide an additional carbon source during friction, working together with the organometallic catalyst to reduce the break-in time for the friction pair to reach a stable state. This lubricating material system not only significantly reduces the coefficient of friction and wear rate but also significantly shortens the break-in time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lubricant technology, and in particular to an ultra-low friction lubricant material system with autocatalytic effect and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] In modern machinery, friction and wear are key factors leading to energy loss, component failure, and shortened lifespan. The core of lubrication technology lies in reducing the coefficient of friction and wear by forming an effective isolation and protective film at the friction interface. Traditional lubrication systems rely heavily on base oils and conventional additives; however, under harsh operating conditions, they often face problems such as slow film formation, insufficient stability, and limited anti-wear performance, resulting in long break-in periods and accelerated wear during long-term operation, thus affecting equipment efficiency and reliability. Existing technologies have two main limitations: first, nanomaterials are difficult to stably disperse in oil and effectively transport to the friction interface; second, while many organic molecular additives have certain environmental advantages, they lack the ability to construct high-strength protective films in situ under harsh friction conditions. The core challenge lies in the fact that the formation of excellent friction films often depends on efficient catalytic processes, while traditional approaches rely on adding pre-prepared catalysts to lubricants or on specific expensive substrates, which have significant limitations in terms of cost, universality, and reliability.

[0003] In recent years, researchers have focused on developing intelligent lubricating materials with adaptive and self-healing functions, aiming to generate interfacial films with excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear properties in situ during friction. Among these efforts, introducing additives that can react in situ under frictional catalysis to form solid lubricating layers has become an important direction for improving lubrication performance. However, existing technologies face challenges such as low catalytic efficiency, loose film structure, or weak adhesion to the substrate, making it difficult to achieve continuous and stable lubrication effects.

[0004] In light of the aforementioned technological background, there is an urgent need to develop an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with a self-catalytic effect. This system should be able to overcome problems such as poor dispersion stability of nanomaterials, insufficient film strength of organic molecules, and high cost of external catalysts. By efficiently catalyzing the formation of a dense and firmly bonded solid lubricating film in situ at the friction interface, it can achieve a continuous and stable ultra-low friction state and excellent wear resistance, thus meeting the urgent needs of modern high-end equipment for long-life and highly reliable lubrication technology under harsh operating conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect and its preparation method. Common base oils, organometallic catalysts, and organic additives are mixed and stirred to achieve a suitable ratio. Through the mechanism of the organometallic catalyst releasing metal ions during friction and forming a graphite-like carbon film in situ through autocatalysis, combined with the synergistic promoting effect of functional organic additives, the friction-reducing and anti-wear properties of the lubrication system are effectively improved, the break-in time is shortened, and the wear rate is reduced. The prepared lubricant exhibits good interfacial film-forming ability and lubrication stability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect, which is composed of base oil, organometallic catalyst and organic additive; the organic additive is at least one of o-xylene, ethylene glycol, dodecanol, oleic acid and tetraethyl orthosilicate.

[0007] Furthermore, the organometallic catalyst is at least one selected from ferrocene, cobalt carbonate, cobalt oxalate, copper acetate, and nickel oxalate.

[0008] Furthermore, the base oil is a polyalphaolefin (PAO8).

[0009] Furthermore, the ratio of the base oil, organometallic catalyst, and organic additive is 20 mL: 1 g: (0.8-1.8) mL.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for preparing an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect, comprising the following steps: mixing base oil, organometallic catalyst and organic additive in a mass ratio, heating and stirring evenly to obtain a lubricant.

[0011] Furthermore, the heating temperature is characterized by being 35℃-50℃.

[0012] This invention also provides an application of an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect in the fields of aerospace, precision manufacturing and high-end equipment, new energy and energy-saving and environmental protection equipment, rail transportation and heavy machinery, national defense and special equipment, and deep-sea and polar exploration equipment.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and technical effects: This lubricating material can form a stable lubricating film with low shear strength at the contact interface of friction pairs, thereby effectively improving lubrication performance, delaying surface fatigue, and reducing energy consumption, and possessing broad engineering application potential. In terms of preparation process, the lubricant is simple and convenient, requiring only heating, stirring, and settling, without complex operations or special equipment, making it easy to implement. This preparation method has good scalability; mass production can be achieved by proportionally increasing the amount of raw materials, meeting the needs of industrial-scale manufacturing. Furthermore, the reagents and additives used in this system are all common industrial products, widely available, and inexpensive, resulting in low overall cost, which is conducive to large-scale promotion and commercial production. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 The graph shows the friction curves of PAO8 and Comparative Example 1 over time. Figure 2 The graph shows the change of lubricating oil friction curves over time for Comparative Example 1, Example 1, and Example 2. Figure 3 The graph shows the friction test results of different lubricating material systems, including PAO8, Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. This detailed description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention, but rather as a more detailed description of certain aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] It should be understood that the terminology used in this invention is merely for describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, with respect to numerical ranges in this invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the range is also specifically disclosed. Every smaller range between any stated value or intermediate value within a stated range, and any other stated value or intermediate value within said range, is also included in this invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range.

[0018] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. While only preferred methods and materials have been described herein, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the implementation or testing of this invention. All references to this specification are incorporated by way of citation to disclose and describe methods and / or materials associated with those references. In the event of any conflict with any incorporated reference, the content of this specification shall prevail.

[0019] Various modifications and variations can be made to the specific embodiments described in this specification without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments derived from this specification will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. This specification and embodiments are merely exemplary.

[0020] The terms “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc., used in this article are all open-ended terms, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0021] This invention provides an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with a self-catalytic effect, which is composed of base oil, organometallic catalyst and organic additive; the organic additive is at least one of o-xylene, ethylene glycol, dodecanol, oleic acid and tetraethyl orthosilicate.

[0022] This invention introduces functional organic additives that synergistically interact with organometallic catalysts to accelerate the catalytic process, thereby further improving the lubrication performance of the system.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present invention, the organometallic catalyst is at least one selected from ferrocene, cobalt carbonate, cobalt oxalate, copper acetate, and nickel oxalate.

[0024] This invention uses organometallic compounds such as nickel oxalate as catalysts, which can release metal ions with in-situ autocatalytic activity during friction. Under friction conditions, these ions react chemically with components such as base oil and organic additives through autocatalysis to form a graphite-like carbonaceous lubricating film on the surface of the friction pair.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present invention, the base oil is polyalphaolefin (PAO8).

[0026] In some embodiments of the present invention, the ratio of the base oil, organometallic catalyst and organic additive is 20 mL: 1 g: (0.8-1.8) mL.

[0027] This invention also provides a method for preparing an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect, comprising the following steps: mixing base oil, organometallic catalyst and organic additive in a mass ratio, heating and stirring evenly to obtain a lubricant.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present invention, the heating temperature is 35°C-50°C.

[0029] Example 1 A method for preparing an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of PAO8 base oil, 1 g of ferrocene and 0.8 mL of o-xylene, heating to 50°C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as C1.

[0030] Example 2 A method for preparing an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of PAO8 base oil, 1 g of ferrocene and 1.8 mL of o-xylene, heating to 50 °C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as C2.

[0031] Example 3 A method for preparing an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of PAO8 base oil, 1 g of ferrocene and 1.8 mL of dodecanol, heating to 50 °C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as C3.

[0032] Example 4 A method for preparing an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of PAO8 base oil, 1 g of ferrocene, and 1.8 mL of o-xylene and ethylene glycol, heating to 50 °C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as C4.

[0033] Comparative Example 1 A method for preparing a lubricating material system includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of LPAO8 base oil with 1 g of ferrocene, heating to 50°C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as B1.

[0034] Comparative Example 2 A method for preparing a lubricating material system includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of LPAO8 base oil with 1 g of cobalt oxalate, heating to 50°C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as B2.

[0035] Comparative Example 3 A method for preparing a lubricating material system includes the following steps: mixing 20 mL of LPAO8 base oil with 1 g of nickel oxalate, heating to 50°C and stirring until homogeneous, to obtain a lubricant denoted as B3.

[0036] Friction performance test The tribological properties of the prepared B1, B2, and B3 were tested. Specifically, the friction properties were tested using the reciprocating mode of a TRB3 tribometer. The upper friction pair consisted of Si3N4 ceramic balls with a diameter of 6 mm, and the lower friction pair consisted of 304 stainless steel blocks. The friction pairs were cleaned with ethanol before the experiment. The test load was 10 N, the frequency was 4 Hz, and the amplitude was 2 mm.

[0037] Figure 1 The graph shows the friction curves of pure lubricating oil and Comparative Example 1 over time when the load is 10N. It can be seen from the graph that the friction coefficient of the present invention after adding the organometallic catalyst ferrocene is much lower than that of pure PAO8.

[0038] Table 2 shows the test results of the friction coefficients of the lubricating oils in Comparative Examples 1, 2, and 3. The data in the table show that, compared to PAO8, adding this concentration of metal catalyst can significantly reduce the friction coefficient, and different metal ions have different effects on reducing the friction coefficient.

[0039] Table 2. Tribological test results using different organometallic catalysts Tribological properties of the prepared C1, C2, and C3 were tested, specifically using a TRB3 tribological testing machine in reciprocating mode. The upper friction pair consisted of Si3N4 ceramic balls with a diameter of 6 mm, and the lower friction pair consisted of 304 stainless steel blocks. The friction pairs were cleaned with ethanol before the experiment. The test load was 10 N, the frequency was 4 Hz, and the amplitude was 2 mm. Wear rate tests were also performed on C2, C2, and C3.

[0040] Figure 2 The graph shows the friction curves of Comparative Example 1, Example 1, and Example 2 under a load of 10N over time. It can be seen from the graph that the running-in time of the present invention after adding the organic additive o-xylene is much shorter than that of the base oil + organometallic catalyst.

[0041] Table 3 shows the friction test results with the addition of organic additives. As can be seen from the table, compared with the lubrication system with only metal catalyst, the break-in time required for the system to reach a stable lubrication state is significantly shortened after the introduction of organic additives, and the wear rate is also greatly reduced.

[0042] Table 3. Test results of running-in time and wear rate with different organic additives. Figure 3The graph shows the friction test results of different lubricating material systems, including PAO8, Example 1, Example 2, Example 4, and Comparative Example 1. It can be seen from the graph that the friction performance of the present invention after adding the organometallic catalyst ferrocene, the organic additive o-xylene, and ethylene glycol is much better than that of PAO8, and the wear rate is much lower than that of pure PAO8.

[0043] Table 4 lists the tribological performance test results of PAO8, Comparative Example 1, Example 1, Example 2, and Example 4. The data in the table show that adding a metal catalyst can significantly reduce the coefficient of friction of PAO8; further introducing organic additives can effectively shorten the break-in time and reduce the wear rate; introducing composite organic additives further reduces both the coefficient of friction and the wear rate.

[0044] Table 4. Friction data results for different samples The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A low-friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect, characterized in that, It is composed of base oil, organometallic catalyst and organic additive; the organic additive is at least one of o-xylene, ethylene glycol, dodecanol, oleic acid and tetraethyl orthosilicate.

2. The ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The organometallic catalyst is at least one of ferrocene, cobalt carbonate, cobalt oxalate, copper acetate, and nickel oxalate.

3. The ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base oil is a polyalphaolefin.

4. The ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio of the base oil, organometallic catalyst, and organic additive is 20 mL: 1 g: (0.8-1.8) mL.

5. A method for preparing the ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: mixing base oil, organometallic catalyst, and organic additives in a specific mass ratio, heating, and stirring until homogeneous to obtain the lubricant.

6. The method for preparing the ultra-low friction lubricating material system with autocatalytic effect according to claim 5, characterized in that, The heating temperature is 35-50℃.

7. The application of an ultra-low friction lubricating material system with self-catalytic effect as described in claim 1 in the fields of aerospace, precision manufacturing and high-end equipment, new energy and energy-saving and environmental protection equipment, rail transit and heavy machinery, national defense and special equipment, and deep-sea and polar exploration equipment.

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