A gel material with lubricating and adhesive effects, and a preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of gel material with lubrication and adhesion, comprising the following raw material components: polymerizable monomer, crosslinking agent, initiator and base oil;The mass ratio of the polymerizable monomer and the base oil is 1.1~5:1;The polymerizable monomer is selected from polymerizable monomer with hydrophobic side chain.The gel material provided in the application can maintain stable structure under complete water immersion conditions, has good adhesion to various substrate surfaces, and is not easy to fall off in complex underwater environment;Meanwhile, it also has self-lubricating function under the action of certain shear force, due to the special network structure in the gel material, so that its lubricating effect is durable, stable, not easy to be washed away by water flow and fail, and is very suitable for providing lubricating effect in underwater environment;In addition, the material also has certain corrosion resistance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of polymer materials technology, and in particular to a gel material that combines lubrication and adhesion, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] In deep-sea equipment, such as submersibles, drones, energy infrastructure, and water treatment systems, materials are subjected to complex environments including high salinity, high humidity, fluctuating water pressure, mechanical wear, and biofouling. These factors accelerate corrosion in the aquatic environment and can even lead to the detachment of critical instrument connections, severely impacting the safety and reliability of underwater systems. Since most deep-sea equipment is expensive and structurally complex, repairing corroded or damaged areas is a common solution. This is especially true for deep-sea equipment where damage occurs at dynamic sealing interfaces, such as thruster shafts, robotic arm joints, and hydraulic cylinder piston rods. This places higher demands on repair materials: they must prevent high-pressure seawater intrusion (repair materials need to adhere well and seal the damaged area) while also allowing relative movement of components, such as rotation or reciprocating motion (repair materials need to have lubricating properties).

[0003] Current lubrication strategies primarily include lubricating oils, greases, and solid lubricants. While lubricating oils possess good fluidity and cold-start performance, they are easily diluted and washed away in underwater environments, leading to rapid failure. Greases rely on thickeners for retention, but they easily emulsify in water, making it difficult to maintain long-term effectiveness. Solid lubricants such as graphite and molybdenum disulfide, while possessing high-temperature resistance, have limited interfacial properties in dynamic aquatic environments. Surface lubricating liquid coatings (SLIPS) have gained attention in recent years due to their super-lubricating and anti-fouling properties; however, these coatings are highly dependent on a stable lubricating fluid retainer layer, and their lubrication performance is difficult to recover once worn or damaged by fluids. Furthermore, their complex construction process is unsuitable for underwater applications.

[0004] Meanwhile, lubrication and adhesion, as two key functions of repair materials, are inherently contradictory in their physicochemical properties. Low surface energy and high fluidity are beneficial for reducing friction, while high surface energy and strong interfacial forces are beneficial for enhancing adhesion. It is difficult to achieve both simultaneously in the same system. This contradiction is even more pronounced in aquatic environments, where the moderating effect of water molecules on interfacial energy further weakens the possibility of materials possessing both lubricity and adhesion properties.

[0005] Therefore, it is evident that developing a material that can be used in complex aquatic environments and possesses comprehensive properties of lubrication, adhesion, and corrosion protection has significant application value and engineering implications. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a gel material that has both lubricating and adhesive properties, as well as its preparation method and application, to solve the problems in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention is obtained through the following technical solution.

[0008] The first aspect of the present invention provides a gel material with both lubricating and adhesive properties, comprising the following raw material components: a polymerizable monomer, a crosslinking agent, an initiator, and a base oil; wherein the mass ratio of the polymerizable monomer to the base oil is 1.1 to 5:1; and wherein the polymerizable monomer is selected from polymerizable monomers having hydrophobic side chains.

[0009] The mass ratio of the polymerizable monomer to the base oil can be 1.2 to 4:1, 2 to 4:1, 2:1, or 3:1.

[0010] The material provided in this application is a gel material mainly composed of elastic materials, which has a three-dimensional network skeleton structure. At the same time, the three-dimensional network skeleton of the gel material can also bind a certain amount of base oil. Under certain conditions, the material can release a certain amount of base oil on its surface to form an oil film, thereby providing good lubrication performance. Due to the special structure of the material in this application, the base oil is bound by the three-dimensional network skeleton. Therefore, it can maintain stable lubrication performance even in underwater environments, and there is almost no problem of lubrication failure due to being washed away by water flow.

[0011] In this application, the mass ratio of polymerizable monomer to base oil is a critical parameter that significantly affects the final performance of the product. If the base oil content is too high, the resulting gel material will not be able to bind all the base oil, resulting in decreased and unstable underwater lubrication performance, wasting raw material costs, and also affecting the material's adhesion. If the base oil content is too low, although it can improve the material's adhesion to some extent, its lubrication performance is poor, failing to achieve the technical effect of this application. Only within the conditions defined in this application can a gel material be prepared that achieves both good adhesion and stable lubrication.

[0012] Preferably, the polymerizable monomer having hydrophobic side chains includes one or more of long-chain alkyl acrylates, long-chain alkyl methacrylates, fluorinated alkyl acrylates, and fluorinated alkyl methacrylates.

[0013] The long-chain alkyl group can be a straight-chain or branched saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group with C5 to C30 carbon atoms, preferably a C10 to C22 straight-chain alkyl group, such as 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, or 22 carbon atoms, and more preferably one or more of octyl, isooctyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, octadecyl, eicosyl, and docosyl.

[0014] The fluorinated alkyl group can be a straight-chain or branched alkyl group with 1 to 20 carbon atoms, wherein at least one hydrogen atom is substituted by a fluorine atom, such as two hydrogen atoms being substituted by fluorine atoms or three hydrogen atoms being substituted by fluorine atoms. Preferably, the polymerizable monomer is selected from one or more of dodecyl acrylate, dodecyl methacrylate and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate.

[0015] Preferably, the base oil includes one or more of hydrocarbon oils, ester oils, silicone oils, and ether oils.

[0016] Preferably, the open cup flash point of the base oil is 200~400℃. For example, it can be 200~350℃, 220~320℃, or 220~315℃.

[0017] Preferably, the base oil has a kinematic viscosity of 10~350 mmHg at 40°C. 2 / s. For example, it can be 10~300 mm. 2 / s, 19~274 mm 2 / s.

[0018] Preferably, the base oil includes one or more of polyalphaolefin (PAO) oil, dimethyl silicone oil, pentaerythritol ester, and alkylated naphthalene oil.

[0019] Preferably, the crosslinking agent is a multifunctional crosslinking agent, which includes one or more of multifunctional acrylates, multifunctional methacrylates, and multifunctional olefin crosslinking agents.

[0020] Preferably, the multifunctional crosslinking agent is selected from one or more of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate.

[0021] Preferably, the initiator includes a photoinitiator or a thermal initiator, wherein the photoinitiator is selected from one or more of acetophenone and its derivatives, α-hydroxy ketones, and acylphosphine oxides; and the thermal initiator is selected from one or more of azo compounds and peroxide compounds.

[0022] Preferably, the initiator is selected from one or more of diethoxyacetophenone, azobisisobutyronitrile, and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone.

[0023] Preferably, the amount of crosslinking agent is 0.08~5 wt% based on the total mass of polymerizable monomers. For example, it can be 0.2~3 wt%, 0.3~3 wt%, or 0.2~4 wt%.

[0024] Preferably, the coefficient of friction of the gel material in an underwater environment is less than or equal to 0.1. For example, it can be 0.02~0.1, 0.04~0.1, and more preferably 0.04~0.06.

[0025] Preferably, the gel material can protect the steel sheet surface from corrosion for at least 24 hours in a salt spray test at 50 °C and 98% humidity. Specifically, the salt spray test is conducted according to ASTM B117 standard.

[0026] In this application, the amount of crosslinking agent has a significant impact on the underwater lubrication and adhesion properties of the gel material. The applicant has discovered that a higher or lower amount of crosslinking agent is not necessarily better, but rather falls within a suitable range; within this range, the gel material exhibits both good underwater lubrication and adhesion properties. However, when the amount of crosslinking agent is too high or too low, both underwater lubrication and adhesion properties decrease. Only within the conditions defined in this application can a gel material that balances good adhesion and stable lubrication be obtained.

[0027] Preferably, the amount of the initiator is 0.08 to 3 wt% based on the total mass of the polymerizable monomers. For example, it can be 0.2 to 3 wt%, 0.3 to 2 wt%, or 0.2 to 1 wt%.

[0028] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing a gel material with both lubricating and adhesive properties as described above, comprising the following steps: dissolving the polymerizable monomer, crosslinking agent, and initiator in a base oil to obtain a precursor solution, and then crosslinking and polymerizing the precursor solution to obtain the gel material.

[0029] Preferably, the crosslinking polymerization includes either photopolymerization or thermal polymerization.

[0030] Preferably, when the crosslinking polymerization is photopolymerization, the photopolymerization includes one or more of the following technical features:

[0031] Polymerization is carried out under ultraviolet light.

[0032] The irradiation time is 5 to 30 minutes.

[0033] The irradiation time can be 10-25 minutes, 10-20 minutes, or 8-17 minutes, as described.

[0034] Preferably, when the crosslinking polymerization is thermal polymerization, the thermal polymerization includes one or more of the following technical features:

[0035] The heating temperature is 75~85℃; the heating time is 2~4 hours.

[0036] The heating temperature can be 75℃, 80℃, or 85℃; the heating time can be 2 hours, 3 hours, or 4 hours.

[0037] A third aspect of the present invention provides the application of the gel material described above as a repair material in underwater engineering in an underwater environment.

[0038] Preferably, the underwater engineering includes any one of underwater pipelines and underwater equipment.

[0039] More specifically, the underwater equipment includes underwater moving parts, such as thruster shafts, robotic arm joints, hydraulic cylinder piston rods, etc.

[0040] Beneficial effects:

[0041] This invention provides an organic gel material that maintains excellent adhesion and lubrication properties in underwater environments. This material retains a stable structure even under complete immersion and exhibits strong adhesion to various substrate surfaces, making it less prone to detachment in complex underwater environments. Simultaneously, it possesses self-lubricating properties under certain shear forces. Due to its unique network structure, the lubrication effect is long-lasting and stable, and it is not easily washed away by water currents, making it highly suitable for providing lubrication in underwater environments. Furthermore, the material also exhibits certain corrosion resistance. Its preparation method is simple and the process is straightforward, demonstrating significant engineering practical value and promising prospects for application in underwater equipment, pipeline surface repair or protection, and long-term lubrication maintenance of deep-sea engineering machinery. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 The diagram shows the reaction flow chart of the gel material preparation process in Example 1 of this invention.

[0043] Figure 2 The image shown is a Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis result of the materials prepared in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 of this invention.

[0044] Figure 3 The figure shown is a graph illustrating the rheological properties test results of the gel material in Example 1 of this invention.

[0045] Figure 4 The figure shown is a test result of the underwater adhesion performance of the gel material in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 5 The image shown is a graph illustrating the underwater corrosion resistance and durability test results of the gel material in Example 1 of this invention.

[0047] Figure 6 The figure shown is a comparison of the underwater lubrication performance of the materials provided in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 of this invention.

[0048] Figure 7 The figure shown is a comparison of the underwater corrosion resistance of the materials provided in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 of this invention.

[0049] Figure 8 The figures shown are test results of the three-dimensional cross-linked network structure of the materials provided in Examples 2-3 and Comparative Example 2 of this invention regarding the binding capacity of base oil.

[0050] Figure 9 The figures shown are comparisons of the underwater lubrication performance of the materials provided in Examples 4-6 and Comparative Example 3 of this invention.

[0051] Figure 10 The figures shown are comparison results of the underwater adhesion performance of the materials provided in Examples 4-6 and Comparative Example 3 of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0052] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0053] Before further describing specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described below; it should also be understood that the terminology used in the embodiments of the present invention is for describing specific embodiments and not for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Test methods in the following embodiments that do not specify specific conditions are generally performed under conventional conditions or as recommended by the respective manufacturers.

[0054] When numerical ranges are given in the embodiments, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated in the present invention, both endpoints of each numerical range and any value between the two endpoints may be selected. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In addition to the specific methods, apparatus, and materials used in the embodiments, based on the knowledge of the prior art possessed by one of ordinary skill in the art and the description of this invention, any prior art methods, apparatus, and materials similar to or equivalent to those described, apparatus, and materials in the embodiments of this invention may be used to implement the present invention.

[0055] The gel material provided in this application possesses both a specific three-dimensional network framework structure and a base oil. This three-dimensional network framework structure can bind a certain amount of base oil. When the material is subjected to shear, the base oil can leach out onto the material surface to form an oil film that is not washed away by water flow, thus enabling the material to maintain stable lubrication performance even in underwater environments. Furthermore, this gel material exhibits good adhesion to various substrates underwater, overcoming the shortcomings of existing technologies where materials with high adhesion lack self-lubricating properties, or materials with good lubricity have weak adhesion.

[0056] In the following embodiments of this application, the polyalphaolefin synthetic oil used is PAO4, which has an open cup flash point of 220°C and a kinematic viscosity of 19 mmHg at 40°C. 2 / s; The dimethyl silicone oil used is 350 cSt silicone oil with an open cup flash point of 300℃ and a kinematic viscosity of 274 mm at 40℃. 2 / s; The pentaerythritol ester used is pentaerythritol tetraoleate, with an open-cup flash point of 315℃ and a kinematic viscosity of 68 mm³ / s at 40℃. 2 / s.

[0057] Example 1

[0058] This embodiment provides a specific gel material with both lubricating and adhesive properties and its preparation method, including the following steps:

[0059] 1) Dissolve 2.4 g of dodecyl acrylate (LA), 10.5 mg of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and 10.8 mg of diethoxyacetophenone (DEAP) in 1.2 g of polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) base oil, and stir until homogeneous to obtain the precursor solution.

[0060] 2) The precursor liquid is uniformly coated on the surface of the substrate (stainless steel plate) to form a liquid layer of about 1.5 mm thickness. After crosslinking polymerization under 365 nm ultraviolet light for 15 min, it is allowed to stand at 25 °C, demolded and removed to obtain the gel material.

[0061] Figure 1 a is a reaction flow diagram of the gel material preparation process in this embodiment, which is... Figure 1 As can be seen from a, in the organic gel material provided in this embodiment, the three-dimensional cross-linked polymer network is stably embedded with the base oil. Figure 1 b is a physical image of the gel material in this embodiment.

[0062] The applicant performed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis on the gel material prepared in Example 1 to characterize its structure. The test was conducted using a Perkin-Elmer ATR-FTIR spectrometer with a scanning range of 4000–600 cm⁻¹. -1 The specific results are as follows. Figure 2 .

[0063] Depend on Figure 2 It can be seen that both the base oil PAO4 and the organic gel material prepared in this application exhibit characteristic absorption peaks in the alkyl CH vibration-related region, indicating that the base oil component is retained in the gel material; meanwhile, the gel material provided in Example 1 shows a peak at approximately 1735 cm⁻¹. -1 A distinct C=O stretching vibration absorption peak appears at approximately 1163 cm⁻¹.-1 The presence of a C–O stretching vibration characteristic peak indicates the presence of an acrylate polymer network in the material.

[0064] The above results demonstrate that a polymer network structure was formed in the organic gel material prepared in Example 1 of this application, and the base oil was effectively embedded in the network.

[0065] The applicant also tested the rheological properties, underwater adhesion properties, and corrosion resistance of the gel material prepared in Example 1.

[0066] The rheological properties were characterized using an Anton Paar MCR302 rheometer: the test was conducted in parallel plate mode, with shear stress ranging from 0.1 to 1000 Pa. Specific results are shown below. Figure 3 .

[0067] Depend on Figure 3 As shown in the left figure, as the shear stress increases, the storage modulus of the material is always higher than the loss modulus, indicating that the material prepared by the technical solution of this application is an elastic-dominant gel.

[0068] Depend on Figure 3 As shown in the right figure, as the shear rate increases, the viscosity of the material's shear surface gradually decreases and becomes lubricated. After unloading the shear, the viscosity of the material's shear surface can recover, indicating that the gel material has shear thinning and self-recovery properties. This means that the gel material will release base oil in high shear environments (such as friction) and form a base oil film on the surface; when the shear rate decreases, the material returns to its original elastic-dominated gel state.

[0069] Therefore, the material provided by this application is an elastic-dominant gel material, which possesses lubricating properties and self-healing characteristics under certain conditions. These properties enable the material to provide lubrication while also being resistant to rapid water erosion and emulsification, resulting in long-lasting effects, making it highly suitable for underwater applications.

[0070] Underwater adhesion properties were tested using an Instron 5567 universal testing machine, employing a single-sided lap shear method. Specific results are shown below. Figure 4 .

[0071] Depend on Figure 4 It is known that the material exhibits shear adhesion strength of 7.8~18.5 kPa on various substrates such as wood, glass, stainless steel, polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) when fully immersed in water. This indicates that the gel material prepared in this application has good adhesion ability and is not easy to fall off when applied underwater to various types of substrates.

[0072] Corrosion resistance and durability were evaluated using salt spray and riverbed strip tests. The salt spray test was conducted according to ASTM B117 standards at 50 °C and 98% humidity. In the riverbed strip test, samples were exposed to a natural river environment for 30 days, and changes were observed. Specific results are shown below. Figure 5 .

[0073] Depend on Figure 5 Salt spray tests showed that the steel sheet protected by the gel material provided in Example 1 showed no significant corrosion after 24 hours of salt spray exposure, remaining intact, and the base steel sheet showed no rust spots; while the steel sheet not protected by the gel material of this application showed obvious corrosion. Figure 5 The riverbed plate test showed that the steel plate protected by the gel material provided in Example 1 had no obvious corrosion, and no rust spots were observed on the base steel plate; while the steel plate not protected by the gel material of this application showed obvious corrosion and blackening. Therefore, it can be seen that the gel material provided in Example 1 of this application has good anti-corrosion effect in actual complex aquatic environments.

[0074] In summary, the gel material provided in Example 1 of this application is an elastic-dominant material that maintains good adhesion and lubrication even in underwater environments, and also exhibits excellent corrosion resistance. Specifically, it demonstrates good adhesion to various substrates, and under certain conditions (such as friction and shear stress), a lubricating oil film forms on its surface, providing lubrication while also possessing excellent corrosion resistance. These characteristics make this material highly suitable as a repair material (interface material) for repairing deep-sea equipment (including moving parts of deep-sea equipment).

[0075] Comparative Example 1

[0076] It uses only 1.2 g of polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) base oil, without adding polymerizable monomers, crosslinking agents and photoinitiators.

[0077] The applicant also conducted comparative experiments on the lubrication and corrosion resistance of the gel material prepared in Example 1 and the base oil provided in Comparative Example 1 in an underwater environment.

[0078] The underwater lubrication performance was tested using a Bruker TriboLab friction and wear testing machine. The test mode was ball-plate reciprocating friction. The friction pair consisted of an 8 mm diameter steel ball and a steel plate covered with either the sample from Example 1 or the sample from Comparative Example 1. The load was 5 N, the frequency was 5 Hz, the amplitude was 2 mm, and the medium was simulated seawater. Specific results are shown below. Figure 6 .

[0079] Generally speaking, when a material is used in an underwater environment, if its coefficient of friction (lubrication performance) is less than or equal to 1.0, the material is considered to have excellent lubrication performance. The smaller and more stable the coefficient of friction, the better the lubrication performance.

[0080] Depend on Figure 6 It is evident that the friction coefficient of the gel material provided in this application is consistently around 0.05, which is far superior to that of the polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) base oil itself. In contrast, the base oil provided in Comparative Example 1 is easily lost in an underwater environment and essentially provides no lubrication. This indicates that the three-dimensional network structure in the gel material provided by this technical solution can effectively bind the base oil within it, preventing it from being dispersed by water flow. Consequently, the gel material provided in this application still exhibits excellent lubrication performance even in an underwater environment.

[0081] Corrosion resistance was determined through electrochemical testing. The tests were conducted using a CHI660E electrochemical workstation with a three-electrode system: the working electrode was an organic gel-coated steel sheet, the counter electrode was a platinum sheet, and the reference electrode was a saturated calomel electrode. The electrolyte was a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) phase-frequency curves were plotted on the samples. Specific results are shown below. Figure 7 .

[0082] In electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) testing of metal coatings, the phase angle on the ordinate is a core indicator for evaluating the coating's shielding performance (corrosion resistance). A phase angle closer to 90°, and maintained at a high phase angle across a wide frequency range, indicates that the material effectively blocks corrosive media (water, ions, oxygen) from penetrating the metal substrate, demonstrating good corrosion resistance. Conversely, a lower phase angle and a faster decrease in the high-frequency range indicate weaker capacitance of the coating, poorer barrier properties, easier penetration by corrosive media, and inferior corrosion resistance.

[0083] Depend on Figure 7 It can be seen that the phase angle of the material prepared in Example 1 is higher than that of Comparative Example 1 over a wide frequency range, and its maximum phase angle is also higher, indicating that the material has more obvious capacitive characteristics and better interface shielding ability, and excellent corrosion resistance. In contrast, the phase angle of Comparative Example 1 is lower and decreases rapidly in the high-frequency region, indicating that its barrier effect against corrosive media is weaker. The above results show that the gel material provided in this application has better corrosion resistance than PAO4 base oil itself, and it possesses good corrosion resistance.

[0084] Examples 2-3 and Comparative Example 2

[0085] Replace the amount of polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) in step 1) with 1.4 g, 2.0 g and 2.4 g, and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0086] To verify the binding ability of the three-dimensional cross-linked network structure in the gel material for the base oil (preventing it from being washed away by water in an underwater environment), the applicant tested the gels prepared in Examples 2-3 and Comparative Example 2: each gel was placed vertically at 90° for 24 hours, and its binding ability for the base oil was observed. Specific results are shown in [link to results]. Figure 8 .

[0087] Depend on Figure 8 It can be seen that when the amount of PAO4 is increased to 2.4g, the base oil in the gel material leaks after 24 hours, indicating that the three-dimensional cross-linked network of the gel cannot bind all the base oil and is not suitable for underwater environments.

[0088] Example 4

[0089] Except for replacing the amount of polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) in step 1) with 0.6 g, the other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0090] Example 5

[0091] Replace the amount of crosslinking agent in step 1) with 50 mg, and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0092] Example 6

[0093] Replace dodecyl acrylate (LA) in step 1) with dodecyl methacrylate, and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0094] Comparative Example 3

[0095] Replace the amount of crosslinking agent in step 1) with 1 mg, and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0096] The applicant also conducted underwater lubrication and adhesion tests on the gel materials provided in Examples 4-6 and Comparative Example 3. Underwater lubrication was tested using a Bruker TriboLab friction and wear testing machine, and underwater adhesion was tested using an Instron 5567 universal testing machine. The specific experimental methods were the same as described above. Specific results are shown below. Figure 9 and Figure 10 .

[0097] Depend on Figure 9 It can be seen that the gel materials provided in Examples 4 to 6 of this application have a low coefficient of friction in an underwater environment, all less than 1.0, which meets the requirements for lubrication performance in underwater applications; while the gel material provided in Comparative Example 3 has a high coefficient of friction, around 1.2, and its lubrication performance is worse than that of the technical solution of this application.

[0098] Figure 10The shear-adhesion strength exhibited by the materials provided in the various embodiments and comparative examples to stainless steel plates under conditions of complete immersion in water is generally considered to indicate good underwater adhesion performance when the shear-adhesion strength of the material to stainless steel plates in an underwater environment is greater than 8 kPa. Specifically, the shear-adhesion strength of the material provided in Example 1 is approximately 13.5 kPa.

[0099] Furthermore, the gel materials provided in Examples 4-6 of this application exhibit a shear adhesion strength of 10-16 kPa to stainless steel plates in an underwater environment, indicating that the gel materials provided in this technical solution also have good adhesion performance underwater. In contrast, the gel material provided in Comparative Example 3 has a lower shear adhesion strength to stainless steel plates, only about 6 kPa, and its underwater adhesion performance is inferior to that of the technical solution in this application.

[0100] Furthermore, as can be seen from Examples 4 and 1, the ratio of base oil to polymerizable monomers is a key parameter in this application, affecting the final underwater lubrication and adhesion properties of the gel material. Only within the ratio range provided by the technical solution of this application can such good underwater lubrication and adhesion effects be achieved simultaneously. Moreover, the lubrication effect increases with the increase of base oil content, while the adhesion effect decreases with the increase of base oil content.

[0101] As shown in Examples 1, 5, and Comparative Example 3, the amount of crosslinking agent used in this application affects the final underwater lubrication and adhesion properties of the gel material. Increasing the amount of crosslinking agent (Example 5) or decreasing the amount of crosslinking agent (Comparative Example 3) will affect the final underwater lubrication and adhesion properties of the gel material to some extent. Only within the scope of protection of this application can the technical effects of this application be obtained, resulting in an organic gel material with excellent underwater lubrication and adhesion properties (friction coefficient less than 1.0, and adhesion strength to stainless steel plates greater than 8 kPa).

[0102] Example 7

[0103] Replace the polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) in step 1) with high-viscosity dimethyl silicone oil (350 cSt silicone oil), and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0104] Example 8

[0105] Replace the polyalphaolefin synthetic oil (PAO4) in step 1) with pentaerythritol ester, and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0106] Example 9

[0107] Replace the crosslinking agent in step 1) with trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), and keep the other conditions the same as in Example 1.

[0108] Example 10

[0109] 1) Replace the initiator in step 1) with 10 mg of thermal initiator azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), and keep all other conditions exactly the same to obtain the precursor solution.

[0110] 2) The precursor liquid is uniformly coated on the surface of the substrate (stainless steel plate) to form a liquid layer of about 1.5 mm thickness. The mixture is heated at 80°C for 3 hours. After the thermal polymerization reaction is completed, the mixture is demolded and removed to obtain the gel material.

[0111] The gel materials prepared in Examples 7-10 of this application also exhibit good adhesion, lubrication, and corrosion resistance when used in underwater environments.

[0112] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gel material that combines lubrication and adhesion properties, characterized in that, It includes the following raw material components: polymerizable monomer, crosslinking agent, initiator and base oil; the mass ratio of the polymerizable monomer to the base oil is 1.1~5:1; the polymerizable monomer is selected from polymerizable monomers with hydrophobic side chains.

2. The gel material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polymerizable monomer with hydrophobic side chains includes one or more of long-chain alkyl acrylates, long-chain alkyl methacrylates, fluorinated alkyl acrylates, and fluorinated alkyl methacrylates. And / or, the base oil includes one or more of hydrocarbon oils, ester oils, silicone oils, and ether oils; And / or, the open cup flash point of the base oil is 200~400℃; And / or, the base oil has a kinematic viscosity of 10~350 mmHg at 40°C. 2 / s.

3. The gel material according to claim 2, characterized in that, The polymerizable monomer is selected from one or more of dodecyl acrylate, dodecyl methacrylate and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl acrylate; And / or, the base oil includes one or more of polyalphaolefin oil, dimethyl silicone oil, pentaerythritol ester, and alkylated naphthalene oil.

4. The gel material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crosslinking agent is selected from multifunctional crosslinking agents, which include one or more of multifunctional acrylates, multifunctional methacrylates, and multifunctional olefin crosslinking agents; And / or, the initiator includes a photoinitiator or a thermal initiator, wherein the photoinitiator is selected from one or more of acetophenone and its derivatives, α-hydroxy ketones, and acylphosphine oxides; and the thermal initiator is selected from one or more of azo compounds and peroxide compounds.

5. The gel material according to claim 4, characterized in that, The multifunctional crosslinking agent is selected from one or more of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate; And / or, the initiator is selected from one or more of diethoxyacetophenone, azobisisobutyronitrile, and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone.

6. The gel material according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the total mass of polymerizable monomers, the amount of the crosslinking agent is 0.08~5 wt%; And / or, based on the total mass of polymerizable monomers, the amount of the initiator is 0.08~3 wt%; And / or, the coefficient of friction of the gel material in an underwater environment is less than or equal to 0.

1.

7. A method for preparing a gel material with both lubricating and adhesive properties as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: dissolving the polymerizable monomer, crosslinking agent, and initiator in base oil to obtain a precursor solution, followed by crosslinking polymerization to obtain the gel material.

8. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The crosslinking polymerization includes either photopolymerization or thermal polymerization.

9. The preparation method according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the crosslinking polymerization is photopolymerization, the technical features of the photopolymerization include one or more of the following: Polymerization is carried out under ultraviolet light. The irradiation time is 5 to 30 minutes; And / or, when the crosslinking polymerization is thermal polymerization, the thermal polymerization includes one or more of the following technical features: The heating temperature is 75~85℃; the heating time is 2~4 hours.

10. The application of a gel material as a repair material in an underwater environment for underwater engineering, as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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