Abstract
This study achieved water-based superlubricity with the lubrication of H3PO4 solution in vacuum (highest vacuum degree <10–4 torr) for the first time by performing a pre-running process in air before running in vacuum. The stable water-based superlubricity was sustainable in vacuum (0.02 torr) for 14 h until the test was stopped by the user for non-experimental factor. A further analysis suggested that the superlubricity may be attributed to the phosphoric acid–water network formed in air, which can efficiently lock water molecules in the liquid lubricating film even in vacuum owing to the strong hydrogen bond interaction. Such capability to lock water is strongly affected by the strength of hydrogen bond and environmental conditions. The realization of water-based superlubricity with H3PO4 solution in vacuum can lead to its application in space environment.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51527901, 51405256), and Self-developed Project of State Key Laboratory of Traction Power (No. 2017TPL_Z02).
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Chen XIAO. He earned his B.E. degree (2014) in mechanical design, manufacturing and its automation from Southwest Jiaotong University in China. He is currently a PhD candidate in Tribology Research Institute, Southwest Jiaotong University. His research is focused on the tribochemical removal on silicon and water-based superlubricity.
Linmao QIAN. He is a professor of mechanical engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University. He received his B.S. (1994) and PhD (2000) degrees in mechanical engineering from Tsinghua University in China. After two years at Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and one year at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as a postdoctoral researcher, he joined the faculty at Southwest Jiaotong University in 2002. His research interest includes nanotribology, nanofabrication and superlubricity. He has published more than 136 peerreviewed journals papers and authorized 18 patents. He is a member of editorial board of six journals, such as Friction, ISRN Tribology, Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering, and the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology. He can be reached at linmao@swjtu.edu.cn.
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Xiao, C., Li, J., Chen, L. et al. Water-based superlubricity in vacuum. Friction 7, 192–198 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-018-0212-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-018-0212-z