Robust Superlubricity of Gold–Graphite Heterointerfaces

Noncommensurate 2D interfaces hold great promise toward low friction and nanoelectromechanical applications. For identical constituents, the crystals interlock at specific rotational configurations leading to high barriers for slide. In contrast, nonidentical constituents comprising different lattice parameters should enable robust superlubricity for all rotational configurations. This is however not the case for gold–graphite interfaces, as both theory and experiments show scaling behavior of the sliding force as a function of the interface contact area. By simulating the sliding force for gold–graphite interfaces, this work shows that the origin for high force barriers at special angular configurations is a result of commensurability between the moiré structure and the contact geometry. Consequently, this paper suggests new geometries that can potentially overcome such commensurability effects to enable robust superlubricity.     

Toward Robust Macroscale Superlubricity on Engineering Steel Substrate

“Structural superlubricity” is an important fundamental phenomenon in modern tribology that is expected to greatly diminish friction in mechanical engineering, but now is limited to achieve only at nanoscale and microscale in experiment. A novel principle for broadening the structural superlubricating state based on numberless micro-contact into macroscale superlubricity is demonstrated. The topography of micro-asperities on engineering steel substrates is elaborately constructed to divide the macroscale surface contact into microscale point contacts. Then at each contact point, special measures such as pre-running-in period and coating heterogeneous covalent/ionic or ionic/ionic nanocomposite of 2D materials are devised to manipulate the interfacial ordered layer-by-layer state, weak chemical interaction, and incommensurate configuration, thereby satisfying the prerequisites responsible for structural superlubricity. Finally, the robust superlubricating states on engineering steel–steel macroscale contact pairs are achieved with significantly reduced friction coefficient in 10⁻³ magnitude, extra-long antiwear life (more than 1.0 × 10⁶ laps), and good universality to wide range of materials and loads, which can be of significance for the industrialization of “structural superlubricity.”     

Superlubricity between MoS2 Monolayers

The ultralow friction between atomic layers of hexagonal MoS₂, an important solid lubricant and additive of lubricating oil, is thought to be responsible for its excellent lubricating performances. However, the quantitative frictional properties between MoS₂ atomic layers have not been directly tested in experiments due to the lack of conventional tools to characterize the frictional properties between 2D atomic layers. Herein, a versatile method for studying the frictional properties between atomic‐layered materials is developed by combining the in situ scanning electron microscope technique with a Si nanowire force sensor, and the friction tests on the sliding between atomic‐layered materials down to monolayers are reported. The friction tests on the sliding between incommensurate MoS₂ monolayers give a friction coefficient of ≈10^?4 in the regime of superlubricity. The results provide the first direct experimental evidence for superlubricity between MoS₂ atomic layers and open a new route to investigate frictional properties of broad 2D materials.     

Controlled Movements in Superlubric MEMS

结构超滑微机电系统的受控运动

瞿苍宇¹,向小健¹,马明^2,3,郑泉水^1,2,3,4,*

(1.深圳清华大学 研究院超滑技术研究所,广东 深圳 518057;

2.清华大学 微纳米力学与多学科交叉创新研究中心,北京 100084;

3.清华大学 摩擦学国家重点实验室&清华大学机械工程学院,北京 100084;

4.清华大学 工程力学系,北京 100084)

中文说明：

结构超滑是指两个固体表面接触摩擦近乎为零、磨损为零的状态,为发明极低能耗和极高寿命的微机械或微机电系统提供了基础。但要实现这些应用,则需要能够有效控制或限制滑移运动按希望或规定的路线进行,同时不破坏超滑。如何实现这类控制或限制,至今还是一个有待于解决的挑战。本文研究表明,通过对滑块和滑床的几何形状,或滑块和隐藏在滑床表面下面的电极的形状的恰当设计,就可以借助于界面能或电容势能的极小化来实现动态控制或限制。通过恰当设计,滑移接触界面的界面能可对滑块提供回复力与约束力,而电极不仅可提供回复力与约束力,还可提供驱动力,且这些力均可调控。作为以上原理的示例,本文设计一种超滑谐振器,其侧向振动模态具有确定的固有频率,而其他自由度上的运动可被有效约束。本文提出的原理具有一定的通用性,有助于引导未来超滑机械或微机电系统的发明。

关键词：结构超滑,微机电系统（MEMS）,谐振器,受控运动

     

Unraveling the Friction Evolution Mechanism of Diamond-Like Carbon Film during Nanoscale Running-In Process toward Superlubricity

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are capable of achieving superlubricity at sliding interfaces by a rapid running-in process. However, fundamental mechanisms governing the friction evolution during this running-in processes remain elusive especially at the nanoscale, which hinders strategic tailoring of tribosystems for minimizing friction and wear. Here, it is revealed that the running-in governing superlubricity of DLC demonstrates two sub-stages in single-asperity nanocontacts. The first stage, mechanical removal of a thin oxide layer, is described quantitatively by a stress-activated Arrhenius model. In the second stage, a large friction decrease occurs due to a structural ordering transformation, with the kinetics well described by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov model with a modified load dependence of the activation energy. The direct observation of a graphitic-layered transfer film formation together with the measured Avrami exponent reveal the primary mechanism of the ordering transformation. The findings provide fundamental insights into friction evolution mechanisms, and design criteria for superlubricity.     

含氢类富勒烯碳薄膜制备及超滑性能研究进展

类富勒烯碳薄膜是一种由弯曲石墨烯镶嵌的非晶网络复合结构,正是由于这种弯曲石墨烯结构(类富勒烯结构)的存在,赋予了薄膜高的硬度,优异的弹性恢复和超低摩擦性能(摩擦因数为0. 002～0. 009)。综述含氢类富勒烯碳薄膜制备方法、纳米结构调控机制、超低摩擦学机制及后处理对薄膜摩擦学性能的影响;探讨含氢类富勒烯碳薄膜在汽车发动机方面的应用,指出其可有效降低发动机部件的摩擦磨损,有利于发动机的节能减排;总结氢类富勒烯碳薄膜未来工程应用的潜在挑战,指出类富勒烯碳薄膜虽在可控范围内具有超滑性能,但未来如何实现全工况范围超滑和固油复合超滑将是一个主要研究方向。     

Some recent progress in microtribology in Japan

The micro in the word of microtribology is defined as science and engineering supported by modern physics and chemistry. In the engineering area, the ultimate goal of microtribology is to create practical zero-wear devices. The importance of microtribology was recognized by Japanese scientists and engineers in the latter half of the 1980s, and much progress has been made in microtribological studies of mechanisms of friction, lubrication with very thin liquid films, and microwear processes.     

Graphene–Graphene Interactions: Friction,Superlubricity, and Exfoliation

Graphite's lubricating properties due to the “weak” interactions between individual layers have long been known. However, these interactions are not weak enough to allow graphite to readily exfoliate into graphene on a large scale. Separating graphite layers down to a single sheet is an intense area of research as scientists attempt to utilize graphene's superlative properties. The exfoliation and processing of layered materials is governed by the friction between layers. Friction on the macroscale can be intuitively understood, but there is little understanding of the mechanisms involved in nanolayered materials. Using molecular dynamics and a new forcefield, graphene's unusual behavior in a superlubric state is examined, and the energy dissipated between two such surfaces sliding past each other is shown. The dependence of friction on temperature and surface roughness is described, and agreement with experiment is reported. The accuracy of the simulated behavior enables the processes that drive exfoliation of graphite into individual graphene sheets to be described. Taking into account the friction between layers, a peeling mechanism of exfoliation is predicted to be of lower energy cost than shearing.     

TiNi60合金在油润滑下的超滑行为(英文)

研究了4种润滑油(蓖麻油、菜籽油、透平油、石蜡油)对TiNi60合金润滑性能的影响。研究发现,TiNi60合金在可再生蓖麻油润滑下呈现出摩擦因数为0.008的超滑现象。TiNi60合金在干摩擦及4种润滑油下的销-盘摩擦磨损实验研究表明:TiNi60合金在油润滑下具有优异的摩擦学性能,蓖麻油的润滑性能最优,摩擦因数最小,长时间摩擦后摩擦副表面无可测磨损。超滑机理归纳为极性高、碳链长的蓖麻油在TiNi60合金表面形成了边界润滑膜以及摩擦诱发的解离—OH基团形成屏蔽表面有关。