New Forms of Liquid Crystals of Lubricants

最近推出的非水溶致液晶 已被调查的润滑性能下， 先前的NSF资助（MSM-8716928）。 他们展示了 作为润滑剂，在以下方面远远优于商业润滑脂： 摩擦系数低至0.02。 在 此外，它们能够容纳这种性质的添加剂， 它们不能用于常规润滑脂中。 这些因素 表明非水溶致液晶 发展成为一种新型的高级润滑油。 这项赠款资助的项目是协调的一部分， 基础研究计划，以探索超低 摩擦系数，并合成和纳入新的 添加剂添加到配方中。 新的添加剂，调整到 液晶的特性，将在 都灵大学，意大利。 液体的表征 晶体润滑剂使用各种最先进的技术， 胶体化学将在克拉克森大学进行（这 grant）。 摩擦学分析将在 密歇根大学，安阿伯（由摩擦学 程序）。 协调研究的旅费已 由意大利国家研究理事会提供。 的 克拉克森的一项计划将强调三点：（1） 低摩擦系数的解释。 (2)剥削 液晶润滑剂的结构， 具有与烃不相容结构的润滑剂添加剂 润滑油基础 (3)液晶的完整性 结构对分解产物的原始 组件，这可能会移动多组件 系统进入相空间的区域，在该区域中液晶 不是形式。

The recently introduced non-aqueous lyotropic liquid crystals have been investigated for their lubrication properties under a previous NSF grant (MSM-8716928). They demonstrated performance as lubricants far superior to commercial greases with respect to the friction coefficients, which were as low as 0.02. In addition, they are able to accommodate additives of such a nature that they cannot be used in conventional greases. These factors indicate potential for non-aqueous lyotropic liquid crystals to develop into a new class of advanced lubricants. The project funded under this grant is one part of a coordinated basic research program to probe the mechanism for the ultralow friction coefficients and to synthesize and incorporate new additives into the formulations. The new additives, adjusted to the properties of liquid crystals, will be synthesized at the University of Turin, Italy. Characterization of the liquid crystal lubricants using various state-of-the-art techniques from colloid chemistry will be performed at Clarkson University (this grant). Tribological analysis will be performed at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (funded by the Tribology Program). Travel funds for coordination of the research have been provided by the Italian National Research Council. The program at Clarkson will emphasize three points: (1) An explanation of the low friction coefficients. (2) exploitation of the structure of the liquid crystal lubricant to incorporate lubricant additives with structures incompatible with hydrocarbon based lubricants. (3) The integrity of the liquid crystal structure against decomposition products of the original components, which could potentially move the multicomponent system into a region of the phase space where liquid crystals do not form.