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Title: Thin film lubrication of hexadecane confined by iron and iron oxide surfaces: A crucial role of surface structure

Journal Article · · Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4933203· OSTI ID:22493174
; ;  [1]
  1. School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Wollongong, Northfield Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia)

A comparative analysis of thin film lubrication of hexadecane between different iron and its oxide surfaces has been carried out using classical molecular dynamic simulation. An ab initio force-field, COMPASS, was applied for n-hexadecane using explicit atom model. An effective potential derived from density functional theory calculation was utilized for the interfacial interaction between hexadecane and the tribo-surfaces. A quantitative surface parameterization was introduced to investigate the influence of surface properties on the structure, rheological properties, and tribological performance of the lubricant. The results show that although the wall-fluid attraction of hexadecane on pure iron surfaces is significantly stronger than its oxides, there is a considerable reduction of shear stress of confined n-hexadecane film between Fe(100) and Fe(110) surfaces compared with FeO(110), FeO(111), Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001), and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}(012). It was found that, in thin film lubrication of hexadecane between smooth iron and iron oxide surfaces, the surface corrugation plays a role more important than the wall-fluid adhesion strength.

OSTI ID:
22493174
Journal Information:
Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 143, Issue 16; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-9606
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English