Abstract

Supramolecular eutectogels (SEGs) have emerged as an ideal lubricant for addressing bearing lubrication failure and electrical corrosion. However, designing the composition and structure of supramolecular gels presents a significant challenge in the development of bearing lubricants. In this study, four SEGs were synthesized based on bio-derived betaine. Their tribological performance and electrical conductivity were evaluated using an oscillating ball-on-disc tribometer SRV and a conductivity meter. The results show that all four SEGs exhibit excellent friction-reducing, anti-wear, and electrical conductivity. Among them, SEGBUT shows the best friction-reducing and anti-wear performance. Compared to a widely used synthetic oil, PEG 400, SEGBUT achieves reductions of up to 45.28 % in average friction coefficient and 94.42 % in wear volume. With XPS and FIB-TEM techniques, it has been shown that SEGBUT forms a multi-component tribofilm on tribo-pair surfaces through physical adsorption and tribochemical reactions, thereby giving the good tribological performances. This work proposes a promising strategy for developing sustainable lubricants with both good lubrication and electrical corrosion prevention capabilities.

Keywords Plus: DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENTS

Published in TRIBOLOGY INTERNATIONAL，Volume214；10.1016/j.triboint.2025.111350，FEB 2026