A simplified density functional theory study of triboelectronic lubricant degradation

摘要

The degradation of perfluorinated polyether lubricants in computer disk and tape drives is an important factor limiting their lifetimes. One likely path to degradation is through interaction with triboelectrons. We look at two triboelectron degradation mechanisms: dissociative attachment and dipolar dissociation. We carry out total-energy minimization calculations for the triplet excited state and the negatively-charged state of prototypical saturated fluorocarbon molecules. Electron attachment occasionally leads to dissociation, but often does not. Excitation to the triplet excited state uniformly provides the energetics favourable for dissociation.