Thermal and tribological properties of fullerene-containing composite systems. Part 2. Formation of tribo-polymer films during boundary sliding friction in the presence of fullerene C-60

摘要

The techniques of mass-spectrometric thermal analysis, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, light microscopy, and hardness and tribological measurements were used for study of formation and properties of protective-anti-wear and friction-reducing-tribo-polymer film forming on metal surfaces during sliding boundary friction, in the presence of fullerene C-60 used as an additive to some mineral lubricating oils and greases. A possible mechanism of formation of tribo-polymer film was proposed based on the idea of attachment of paraffin and naphthenic oligomers of the lubricants to C-60 molecules, which in turn are polymerized and form a hard fullerene network with attached polyolefin chains. A fullerene network provides a high wear resistance while polyolefin chains provide some decrease in the friction coefficient and widening of the working intervals of friction joints.