Friction Performances of Polyethylene Glycols at Steel Interface under External Electric Fields

doi:10.3901/JME.2023.21.313

Abstract

Abstract: Most industrial lubricating oils are insulating oils, and the friction performances of insulating oils have rarely been investigated in an electric environment. Therefore, a possible tribological model for ether-containing insulating oil is proposed to supplement the research in the field of frictional performances of insulating oils such as polyethylene glycols (PEGs) at the steel interface under external electric fields (EEFs). The results show that the EEFs greatly affected the friction performances of PEGs. The positive voltage leads to the increase in friction coefficient. Under the negative voltage conditions, there is an optimal working condition to make the PEGs show the optimal anti-friction performance, namely voltage -1.0V, PEG viscosity 53 mPa·s, sliding speed 100 mm/s, and normal load 2 N. The analysis results indicate that the lubrication state of PEG under -1.0 V is the mixed lubrication. The PEG adsorption film and the reduction in the amount of Fe_xO_y and FeOOH in the tribochemical film contributed to the improved friction performance under the negative voltage condition of -1.0 V. It has been demonstrated that the frictional performance of insulating oils is also affected by EEFs. A tribological model for insulating oils under EEFs is proposed, which enriches the lubrication theory under EEFs and provides new insights for the design and development of multifunctional lubricating materials under EEFs.

Key words: electrical environment, friction, insulating oil, lubrication

CLC Number:

TH117
TH142

GE Xiangyu, WU Xiaodong, SHI Qiuyu, SONG Shiyi, WANG Wenzhong. Friction Performances of Polyethylene Glycols at Steel Interface under External Electric Fields[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2023, 59(21): 313-320.

References

[1] XIE G, GUO D, LUO J. Lubrication under charged conditions[J]. Tribology International, 2015, 84:22-35.
[2] PRASHAD H. Diagnosis of rolling-element bearings failure by localized electrical current between track surfaces of races and rolling-elements[J]. Journal of Tribology, 2002, 124(3):468-473.
[3] WHITTLE M, TREVELYAN J, TAVNER P J. Bearing currents in wind turbine generators[J]. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 2013, 5(5):053128.
[4] 孙远航,王永松,孙习武,等. 航天用导电滑环失效建模与工艺优化研究[J]. 机械工程学报, 2020, 56(16):1-12. SUN Yuanhang, WANG Yongsong, SUN Xiwu, et al. Research on failure modeling and process optimization of transmission conductive slip ring for aerospace[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2020, 56(16):1-12.
[5] 温诗铸. 纳米摩擦学研究进展[J]. 机械工程学报, 2007, 43(10):1-8. WEN Shizhu. Progress of research on nanotribology[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2007, 43(10):1-8.
[6] 石德全,康凯娇,高桂丽. 磁盘高速运行过程中磁头运行状态的监测方法[J]. 机械工程学报, 2018, 54(5):228-232. SHI Dequan, KANG Kaijiao, GAO Guili. Method of monitoring the working status of the magnetic head during high speed revolution of hard disk[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2018, 54(5):228-232.
[7] BECKER A, ABANTERIBA S. Electric discharge damage in aircraft propulsion bearings[J]. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J:Journal of Engineering Tribology, 2014, 228(1):104-113.
[8] SJÖHOLM M, MÄUSLI P A, BONNER F, et al. Development and qualification of the international space station centrifuge slip ring assembly[C]//11th European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium, ESMATS 2005. 2005, 591:133-140.
[9] SPIKES H A. Triboelectrochemistry:Influence of applied electrical potentials on friction and wear of lubricated contacts[J]. Tribology Letters, 2020, 68(3):1-27.
[10] HE F, XIE G, LUO J. Electrical bearing failures in electric vehicles[J]. Friction, 2020, 8(1):4-28.
[11] WHITE R E. Comprehensive treatise of electrochemistry[M]. New York:Plenum Press, 1980.
[12] GAJEWSKI J B, GŁOGOWSKI M J. How do the temperature, angular velocity and electric fields affect mechanical and electrokinetic phenomena in a friction junction?[J]. Tribology International, 2015, 87:139-144.
[13] SALMERON G C, LECKNER J, SCHWACK F, et al. Greases for electric vehicle motors:Thickener effect and energy saving potential[J]. Tribology International, 2022, 167:107400.
[14] CAO Z, XIA Y, CHEN C, et al. A synergetic strategy based on laser surface texturing and lubricating grease for improving the tribological and electrical properties of Ag coating under current-carrying friction[J]. Friction, 2021, 9(5):978-989.
[15] CAI M, YAN H, LI Y, et al. Ti3C2Tx/PANI composites with tunable conductivity towards anticorrosion application[J]. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 410:128310.
[16] KIMURA Y, NAKANO K, KATO T, et al. Control of friction coefficient by applying electric fields across liquid crystal boundary films[J]. Wear, 1994, 175(1-2):143-149.
[17] LUO J B, SHEN M W, WEN S Z. Tribological properties of nanoliquid film under an external electric field[J]. Journal of Applied Physics, 2004, 96(11):6733-6738.
[18] HE Y, LUO J, XIE G. Characteristics of thin liquid film under an external electric field[J]. Tribology International, 2007, 40(10-12):1718-1723.
[19] XIE G, LUO J, LIU S, et al. Thin liquid film lubrication under external electrical fields:Roles of liquid intermolecular interactions[J]. Journal of Applied Physics, 2011, 109(11):114302.
[20] XIE G, LUO J, LIU S, et al. Nanoconfined liquid aliphatic compounds under external electric fields:Roles of headgroup and alkyl chain length[J]. Soft Matter, 2011, 7(9):4453-4460.
[21] HUANG W, KONG L, WANG X. Electrical sliding friction lubricated with ionic liquids[J]. Tribology Letters, 2017, 65(1):1-6.
[22] CAO Z, XIA Y, LIU L, et al. Study on the conductive and tribological properties of copper sliding electrical contacts lubricated by ionic liquids[J]. Tribology International, 2019, 130:27-35.
[23] FAN X, WANG L. Highly conductive ionic liquids toward high-performance space-lubricating greases[J]. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2014, 6(16):14660-14671.
[24] MICHALEC M, SVOBODA P, KRUPKA I, et al. Investigation of the tribological performance of ionic liquids in non-conformal EHL contacts under electric field activation[J]. Friction, 2020, 8(5):982-994.
[25] YANG X, MENG Y, TIAN Y. Effect of imidazolium ionic liquid additives on lubrication performance of propylene carbonate under different electrical potentials[J]. Tribology Letters, 2014, 56(1):161-169.
[26] DONG R, BAO L, YU Q, et al. Effect of electric potential and chain length on tribological performances of ionic liquids as additives for aqueous systems and molecular dynamics simulations[J]. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020, 12(35):39910-39919.
[27] WEN X, YUWEN F, DING Z, et al. Electric arc-induced damage on electroless Ag film using ionic liquid as a lubricant under sliding electrical contact[J]. Tribology International, 2019, 135:269-276.
[28] CHEN Q D, SHYU S H, LI W L. An overlapped electrical double layer model for aqueous electrolyte lubrication with asymmetric surface electric potentials[J]. Tribology International, 2020, 147:106283.
[29] 解国新,雒建斌,郭丹,等. 普通离子液体润滑剂的润滑成膜性能研究[J]. 机械工程学报, 2011, 47(11):82-86. XIE Guoxin, LUO Jianbin, GUO Dan, et al. Film forming characteristics of common ionic liquid lubricants[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2011, 47(11):82-86.
[30] ZUO Q, HUANG P, SU F. Theory analysis of asymmetrical electric double layer effects on thin film lubrication[J]. Tribology International, 2012, 49:67-74.
[31] CAI M, LIANG Y, ZHOU F, et al. Anticorrosion imidazolium ionic liquids as the additive in poly (ethylene glycol) for steel/Cu-Sn alloy contacts[J]. Faraday Discussions, 2012, 156(1):147-157.
[32] LIU X, ZHOU F, LIANG Y, et al. Benzotriazole as the additive for ionic liquid lubricant:One pathway towards actual application of ionic liquids[J]. Tribology Letters, 2006, 23(3):191-196.
[33] 吴波,古乐,曹华军,等. 盐溶液条件对边界润滑添加剂在带电表面吸附行为的影响[J]. 机械工程学报, 2021, 57(9):118-126. WU Bo, GU Le, CAO Huajun, et al. Effect of salt solution condition on adsorption behaviors of boundary lubrication additive on charged surfaces[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2021, 57(9):118-126.
[34] GE X, LI J, LUO R, et al. Macroscale superlubricity enabled by the synergy effect of graphene-oxide nanoflakes and ethanediol[J]. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10(47):40863-40870.
[35] ZENG D W, YUNG K C, XIE C S. XPS investigation of the chemical characteristics of Kapton films ablated by a pulsed TEA CO₂ laser[J]. Surface and Coatings Technology, 2002, 153(2-3):210-216.
[36] GLASER T, MEINECKE J, LÄNGER C, et al. Combined XPS and DFT investigation of the adsorption modes of methyl enol ether functionalized cyclooctyne on Si (001)[J]. Chem. Phys. Chem., 2021, 22(4):404-409.
[37] KUNDU S, WANG Y, XIA W, et al. Thermal stability and reducibility of oxygen-containing functional groups on multiwalled carbon nanotube surfaces:A quantitative high-resolution XPS and TPD/TPR study[J]. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2008, 112(43):16869-16878.
[38] National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Database[DB/OL]. (2012.09.15)[2022.03.05].http://srdata.nist.gov/xps/.
[39] ZHAO G, WU X, LI W, et al. Hydroquinone bis (diphenyl phosphate) as an antiwear/extreme pressure additive in polyalkylene glycol for steel/steel contacts at elevated temperature[J]. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2013, 52(22):7419-7424.
[40] WHITE S N. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of CO₂ and CH₄ dissolved in water and seawater using laser Raman spectroscopy[J]. Applied Spectroscopy, 2010, 64(7):819-827.