Halogen-Free Borate Ionic Liquid Lubricants for Corrosion Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available lubricants are not suitable for lightweight non-ferrous materials due to their sensitivity to moisture and potential for tribocorrosion, leading to corrosion and toxicity issues, and existing ionic liquids with halogen atoms are undesirable for environmental reasons.
Innovation Solution
Development of hydrophobic and halogen-free boron-based ionic liquids using mandelato, succinato, glutarato, and adipato borate anions with tetraalkylphosphonium, choline, imidazolium, and pyrrolidinium cations, which are more stable and reduce friction and wear in tribological contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional lubricants are used, then lubrication function is provided, but they cause corrosion and tribocorrosion on lightweight non-ferrous materials due to moisture sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the lubricant by incorporating ionic liquids with specific hydrophobic cations (containing alkyl chains with 8-30 carbon atoms) and anions, fundamentally altering the lubricant's interaction with moisture and corrosion behavior on non-ferrous materials
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite lubricant system combining ionic liquid components with traditional base oils or using pure ionic liquids, achieving a material that simultaneously provides lubrication and corrosion protection through the synergistic properties of ionic liquid molecules
2Reliability
If ionic liquids with halogen atoms are used, then lubrication performance is improved, but environmental toxicity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes halogen atoms from the ionic liquid structure, specifically using halogen-free cations and anions while maintaining the essential lubricating properties through alternative molecular structures with hydrophobic alkyl chains
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by selecting specific cations (such as alkylpyridinium, alkylpiperidinium, alkylmorpholinium) and anions that are inherently halogen-free, fundamentally altering the chemical structure to eliminate toxicity while preserving lubrication function
3Reliability
If phosphate esters are used as antiwear additives, then wear protection is improved, but environmental persistence and toxicity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes phosphate ester additives from the lubricant composition, replacing them with ionic liquid components that provide equivalent or superior wear protection through their unique ionic structure and adsorption mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the additive chemistry parameters by substituting phosphate esters with ionic liquids containing specific cation-anion combinations that provide antiwear protection through boundary lubrication mechanisms without the environmental persistence problems of phosphates
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The new lubricant components exhibit excellent antiwear and friction-reducing properties while avoiding corrosion and toxicity, maintaining stability in the presence of water, and outperforming conventional engine oils in tribological tests.
Implementation Method 1
Due to their molecular structure and charges, ILs can be readily adsorbed on the sliding surfaces in frictional pairs, forming a boundary tribofilm, which reduces both friction and wear at low and high loads.
Implementation Method 2
forming a boundary tribofilm, which reduces both friction and wear at low and high loads
Implementation Method 3
forming a boundary tribofilm, which reduces both friction and wear at low and high loads
Data Source
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AI summary
Anti-wear and friction-reducing lubricants and additives to lubricants for both ferrous and non-ferrous materials with/without DLC (diamiond-like-coatings) or graphene-based coatings, which are halogen free boron based ionic liquids comprising a combination of an anion chosen from a mandelato borate anion, a salicylato borate anion, an oxalato borate anion, a malonato borate anion, a succinato borate anion, a glutarato borate anion and an adipato borate anion, with at least one cation selected from a tetraalkylphosphonium cation, a choline cation, an imidazolium cation and a pyrrolidinium cation, wherein said at least one cation has at least one alkyl group substituent with the general formula CnH2n+1 , wherein 1=n=80. Advantages of the invention include that it provides halogen free ionic liquids for lubrication and that sensitivity for hydrolysis is reduced.