Analysis of Tribological Properties of Triethanolamine Modified Graphene Oxide Additive in Water

Abstract

In this paper, triethanolamine modified graphene oxide (TMGO) has been synthesized by filtering and drying the high-temperature reaction solution of graphene oxide (GO) and triethanolamine. The tribological performance of TMGO and GO in de-ionized water were investigated using a four-ball tribometer. The microscopic morphology of the worn surface was analyzed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the average friction coefficient (AFC) and wear scar diameter (WSD) of 0.1 wt % TMGO decreased by 21.9% and 6.2% compared with the two values of 0.1 wt % GO, and no corrosion occurred on metal surface. The minimum of the AFC and WSD occurred at 0.3 wt % TMGO. This study provides a new reference for the application of graphene oxide in lubrication.