New accomplishment in the research on iconic liquids (ILs) was achieved by the State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS.

A series of 1,3-dialkyl imidazolium ILs were synthesized and evaluated as lubricants for steel–steel contacts both at room temperature and 150^？C. Researchers found that the alkyl chain length plays a very important role in improving the tribological properties of ILs. ILs with long alkyl side chains have excellent friction-reducing, anti-wear capabilities and load carrying capacity, especially at high temperatures and high loads. The good performance is supposed to be due to the formation of effective boundary films, which composed of the ordered absorption film and the tribochemical reaction film.

Due to their excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear capabilities, load carrying capacity and high temperature tribo-oxidation properties, ILs are potential high performance lubricants. Later research also indicated that imidazolium ILs with long alkyl chain are not only good lubricants for steel-steel contact but for steel-aluminum contact with even better friction reducing and anti-wear capabilities as well.

The work was finically supported by “973” Program, NSFC. The research was published in the recent issue of Wear (Wear 268 (2010) 67–71).

Abstract of the paper published inWear