Abstract
Numerous tribological applications, wherein the use of liquid lubricants is infeasible, require adequate dry lubrication. Despite the use of polymers as an effective solution for dry sliding tribological applications, their poor wear resistance prevents the utilization in harsh industrial environment. Different methods are typically implemented to tackle the poor wear performance of polymers, however sacrificing some of their mechanical/tribological properties. Herein, we discussed the introduction of a novel additive, namely microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) into an advanced polymeric coating. Specifically, paraffin was encapsulated into melamine-based resin, and the capsules were dispersed in an aromatic thermosetting co-polyester (ATSP) coating. We found that the MPCM-filled composite exhibited a unique tribological behavior, manifested as “zero wear”, and a super-low coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.05. The developed composite outperformed the state-of-the-art polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-filled coatings, under the experimental conditions examined herein.
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Acknowledgements
Fundings of the present study were provided by Texas A&M University X-Grant and by Strategic Transformative Research Program (STRP) Grant, College of Science. The authors also acknowledge the use of the Texas A&M Materials Characterization Core Facility (RRID: SCR_022202). We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Robert A. WELCH Foundation through the W.T. Doherty-WELCH Chair in Chemistry (A-0001). Mariela VAZQUEZ appreciates the support by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (Grant No. M1703014). Insightful discussions with Ms. Yidan SHEN are also greatly appreciated.
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Reza GHEISARI. He is currently a display material scientist in Apple Inc, USA. He earned his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, USA, in 2019, and his master’s degree from Clarkson University, USA, in 2015. His research interests include tribology of polymers and composite materials with a focus on enhancing the reliability and lifespan of polymeric materials as more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives for currently available engineering materials. Furthermore, he has a patent on approaching super-lubricity in polymeric coatings using MPCMs such as paraffin microcapsules. In addition, he worked with leading oil and gas companies to develop experimental testing methodologies to mimic the harsh abrasive/corrosive contacts of drilling bits as well as developing novel additives for drilling fluids.
Mariela VAZQUEZ. She received her bachelor’s degree in science in chemistry from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, USA. Then she pursued her Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from Texas A&M University, USA, under the tutelage of professor Karen L WOOLEY in 2015. Her research focused on synthesizing inverse amphiphilic molecular core–shell bottlebrush polymers to investigate their potential applications in microelectronics and tribology. Specifically, she investigated how varying the chemical compositions of the core and/or shell block influenced the overall morphological conformation and collapsed or extended configuration of the bottlebrush polymers. She has served on various committees and panels addressing under privileged minority students. She is currently the recipient of the Advancing Career Excellence Scholarship, Texas A&M University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Bridge-to-Doctorate (TAMU LSAMP BTD) Fellowship, Texas A&M University Johnson-Aviles Diversity Fellowship, and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRFP).
Vasilis TSIGKIS.He is currently a Ph.D. student in the MicroTribo- Dynamics Laboratory, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from University of Cyprus, Cyprus, in 2015 and 2017, respectively. His research interests focus on macro-tribological testing and characterization of advanced polymeric coatings, hard diamonds, and superalloys in extreme environmental conditions, including cryogenic and high temperatures for space bearing applications.
Ali ERDEMIR. He is currently a professor and Halliburton chair in engineering in J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, USA. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, in 1982 and 1986, respectively. In recognition of his research accomplishments, he has received numerous coveted awards and such honors as being elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, World Academy of Ceramics, and the presidency of the International Tribology Council. He has authored/co-authored more than 300 research articles and 18 book/handbook chapters, co-edited four books, and held 33 U.S. patents. His current research focuses on bridging scientific principles with engineering innovations towards the development of novel materials, coatings, and lubricants for a broad range of cross-cutting applications in energy conversion and utilization systems.
Karen L WOOLEY. She holds the W.T. Doherty-WELCH chair in chemistry and is a university distinguished professor at Texas A&M University, USA, now. She studied at Oregon State University, USA, (bachelor’s degree, 1988) and Cornell University, USA (Ph.D. degree, 1993). The first sixteen years of her independent academic career were spent at Washington University (St. Louis), USA, and she then relocated to Texas A&M University, USA, in July 2009. In addition to her academic positions, she is the co-founder and president of Sugar Plastics, Limited Liability Company, and chief technology officer of Teysha Technologies Ltd. Her research interests include the synthesis and characterization of degradable polymers derived from natural products, unique macromolecular architectures, complex polymer assemblies, and well-defined nanostructured materials. She has designed synthetic strategies to harness the rich compositional, regiochemical, and stereochemical complexity of natural products for the construction of hydrolytically-degradable polymers, which have impact towards sustainability, reduction of reliance on petrochemicals, and production of biologically-beneficial and environmentally-benign natural products upon degradation—These materials are expected to impact the global issue of plastic pollution and address challenges resulting from climate change. Her recent awards include election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2015), National Academy of Inventors (2019), American Association for the Advancement of Science (2020), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2020), and National Academy of Sciences (2020); she was also named as the 2021 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Professor of the Year.
Andreas A POLYCARPOU. He is currently the James J. CAIN chair in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, USA. He received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA, in 1994. His research interests include tribology, micro/ nanotribology, nanomechanics, microtribodynamics, thin solid films, and advanced interface materials. Emphasis has been on micro/nanoscale contact problems with applications to micro-devices, as well as the tribology of devices for reduced energy and improved environmental-related impact. Applications include magnetic and energy storage devices, air-conditioning and refrigeration compressors, nuclear reactors, oil and gas applications, and space applications.
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Gheisari, R., Vazquez, M., Tsigkis, V. et al. Microencapsulated paraffin as a tribological additive for advanced polymeric coatings. Friction 11, 1939–1952 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-022-0733-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-022-0733-3