Development of Low-Friction Ion Gels for Industrial Applications

Abstract

Friction reduction is imperative for improving the service life and energy efficiency of mechanical systems. Ion gels using ionic liquids (ILs) as swelling agents are expected to be stable gel lubricants owing to the high thermal stability and negligible volatility of ILs; they can maintain their swollen state even under harsh conditions. Therefore, we investigated two types of ion gels: an IL-substituted double-network gel (DN ion S-gel), in which the water in the DN hydrogel is replaced by the IL 3-ethyl-1-methyl-imidazolium ethylsulfate; and a DN ion gel containing N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)-N-methyl-ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (DEME-TFSI), where one of the polymer backbones is a network of poly(N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methacryloylethyl)-N-methylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide), an IL-type polymer based on our previous synthetic study of IL polymer technology. The DN ion S-gel and DN ion gel achieved compression strengths of 25 and 30 MPa, respectively, and were thermally stable until 196°C and 335°C (10% weight-loss temperature), respectively. The coefficient of friction remained stable and low (0.02) after repeated measurements under harsh conditions (high temperature or vacuum conditions), affirming the durability of the DN ion gel.