Abstract
Novel two-dimensional (2D) Nb2C nanosheets were successfully prepared through a simple lultrasonic and magnetic stirring treatment from the original accordion-like powder. To further study their water-lubrication properties and deal with common oxidation problems, Nb2C nanosheets with different oxidation degrees were prepared and achieved long-term stability in deionized water. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning probe microscope (SPM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) experiments were utilized to characterize the structure, morphology, and dispersion of Nb2C nanosheets with different degrees of oxidation. The tribological behaviors of Nb2C with different degrees of oxidation as additives for water lubrication were characterized using a UMT-3 friction testing machine. The wear scars formed on the 316 steel surface were measured using three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning confocal microscopy. The tribological results showed that a moderately oxidized Nb2C nanosheet, which owned the composition of Nb2C/Nb2O5/C, displayed excellent tribological performance, with the friction coefficient (COF) decreasing by 90.3% and a decrease in the wear rate by 73.1% compared with pure water. Combining the TEM and Raman spectra, it was shown that Nb2O5 nanoparticles filled in the worn zone, and the layered Nb2C and C were adsorbed into the surface of the friction pair to form a protective lubricating film. This combined action resulted in an excellent lubricating performance.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to express our thanks to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51775540), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LR21E050001), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, CAS (2017338).
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Hao CHENG. He received his bachelor degree in material science and engineering in 2018 from Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing, China. He is now a master student at Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China. His research interests include 2D-materials and lubrication.
Wenjie ZHAO. He received his Ph.D. degree in materials science from Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, in 2010. Then, he joined the Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies at Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, CAS. His current position is a professor. His research areas cover the tribology of composite materials, 2D nanomaterials preparation, interfacial physical chemistry, and protective coatings.
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Cheng, H., Zhao, W. Regulating the Nb2C nanosheets with different degrees of oxidation in water lubricated sliding toward an excellent tribological performance. Friction 10, 398–410 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-020-0469-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-020-0469-x