Polymer-Based Lubricating Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 9543

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Interests: controlled radical polymerization; bottlebrush polymers; polymer nanohybrids; surface modification; biomimetic aqueous lubrication; antibacterial materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,  

Lubrication is considered one of the most efficient methods to reduce friction and wear in mechanical equipment as well as human body. The remarkable lubrication of human synovial joints provides a paradigm for the biomimetic design of polymer-based aqueous lubrication for biomedical applications, which is gradually extending to oil-based lubrication, as well as other lubrication systems. Over the past few decades, advanced synthesis techniques allow for the synthesis of polymers with controlled molecular architecture and diverse functionality, further promoting the potential applications of polymer-based materials in lubrication field.

This Special Issue aims at collecting cutting-edge original research papers and reviews on the most recent advances in polymer-based materials for aqueous lubrication. However, polymers for oil-based lubrication and polymer based self-lubricating materials will also be considered.

The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Interfacial adsorption, rheology, and lubrication of naturally occurring polymers and their derivatives;
  • Design and synthesis of advanced polymers with different architectures for lubrication and wear protection, including but not limited to brush-like polymers, polymer nanoassemblies, and polymer-functionalized nanomaterials;
  • Polymer-based lubricating, antibacterial, antifouling, and slippery coatings for surface modification of materials, especially biomedical devices;
  • Bioinspired hydrogel systems for lubrication, including but not limited to the novel design of cartilage-mimicking hydrogel materials, high load-bearing and wear-resistant hydrogel, and injectable hydrogels for cartilage repair;
  • Stimulus-responsive polymers for smart lubrication, including but not limited to development, mechanism insight, and novel applications of polymer-based smart lubrication systems, as well as responsive polymers for controllable lubrication and adhesion.

For any questions regarding the submission to the special issue, please contact the special issue editor: .

Dr. Qiangbing Wei
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • hyaluronic acid
  • natural and synthetic polymers
  • polymer brushes
  • hydrogel
  • surface functionalization
  • aqueous lubrication
  • bio-lubrication
  • self-lubrication
  • friction
  • wear

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 11203 KiB  
Article
Design of Superlubricity System Using Si3N4/Polyimide as the Friction Pair and Nematic Liquid Crystals as the Lubricant
by Xinlei Gao, Yuwei Cheng, Miaomiao Shi, Hao Chen, Li Wu and Tingting Wang
Polymers 2023, 15(18), 3693; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15183693 - 7 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 899
Abstract
Polyimide (PI) is a high-performance engineering plastic used as a bearing material. A superlubricity system using Si3N4/PI as the friction pair and nematic liquid crystals (LCs) as the lubricant was designed. The superlubricity performance was studied by simulating the [...] Read more.
Polyimide (PI) is a high-performance engineering plastic used as a bearing material. A superlubricity system using Si3N4/PI as the friction pair and nematic liquid crystals (LCs) as the lubricant was designed. The superlubricity performance was studied by simulating the start-stop condition of the machine, and it was found that the superlubricity system had good reproducibility and stability. In the superlubricity system, friction aligned with the PI molecules, and this alignment was less relevant compared to which substance was rubbing on the PI. Oriented PI molecules induced LC molecule alignment when the pretilt angle was very small, and the LC molecules were almost parallel to the PI molecules due to the one-dimensional ordered arrangement of LC molecules and low viscosity, which is conducive to the occurrence of the superlubricity phenomenon. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Lubricating Materials)
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14 pages, 2684 KiB  
Article
Impact of the Morphology of Electrospun Lignin/Ethylcellulose Nanostructures on Their Capacity to Thicken Castor Oil
by María Borrego, José E. Martín-Alfonso, Concepción Valencia, M. Carmen Sánchez and José M. Franco
Polymers 2022, 14(21), 4741; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214741 - 5 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2311
Abstract
This study reports on a novel strategy for manufacturing thickened gel-like castor oil formulations by dispersing electrospun lignin/ethylcellulose nanostructures. These thickened formulations were rheologically and tribologically evaluated with the aim of being proposed as alternative ecofriendly lubricating greases. Low-sulfonate kraft lignin (LSL) and [...] Read more.
This study reports on a novel strategy for manufacturing thickened gel-like castor oil formulations by dispersing electrospun lignin/ethylcellulose nanostructures. These thickened formulations were rheologically and tribologically evaluated with the aim of being proposed as alternative ecofriendly lubricating greases. Low-sulfonate kraft lignin (LSL) and ethylcellulose (EC) were dissolved in a DMAc:THF mixture at different concentrations (8, 10, and 15 wt.%) and LSL:EC ratios (50:50, 70:30, and 90:10) and subjected to electrospinning. The resulting electrospun nanostructures were morphologically characterized. EC acting as the cospinning polymer improved both LSL spinnability and the oil structuring ability. Solutions with a high lignin content achieved microsized particles connected by fibrils, whereas solutions with a high EC content (50:50 ratio) and LSL/EC total concentration (10 and 15 wt.%) yielded beaded or bead-free nanofibers, due to enhanced extensional viscoelastic properties and nonNewtonian characteristics. The gel-like properties of electrospun nanostructure dispersions in castor oil were strengthened with the nanostructure concentration and the EC:LSL ratio, as a result of the formation of a more interconnected fiber network. The oleodispersions studied exhibited a satisfactory frictional response in a tribological contact, with friction coefficient values that were comparable to those achieved with traditional lithium-lubricating greases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Lubricating Materials)
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16 pages, 14590 KiB  
Article
The Preparation and Wear Behaviors of Phenol–Formaldehyde Resin/BN Composite Coatings
by Chao Zang, Yaping Xing, Tingting Yang, Qi Teng, Jinming Zhen, Ran Zhang, Zhengfeng Jia and Weifang Han
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4230; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194230 - 9 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
Phenolic-matrix composites possess excellent synergistic effects on mechanical and tribological properties and can be used in the aerospace, medical, and automobile industries. In this work, a series of phenol–formaldehyde resin/hexagonal boron nitride nanocomposites (PF/BNs) were in situ synthesized using an easy method. PF/BN [...] Read more.
Phenolic-matrix composites possess excellent synergistic effects on mechanical and tribological properties and can be used in the aerospace, medical, and automobile industries. In this work, a series of phenol–formaldehyde resin/hexagonal boron nitride nanocomposites (PF/BNs) were in situ synthesized using an easy method. PF/BN coatings (PF/BNCs) on 316L steels were prepared through a spin-casting method. The wear behaviors of these PF/BNCs were investigated by dry sliding with steel balls. The percentage of BN, the thickness of the coating, and the heat treatment temperature affected the coefficients of friction (COFs) and wear rates of these coatings. After heat treatment at 100 °C, the tribological properties of the PF/BNCs were remarkably improved, which might be attributed to both the transformation of carbon on the worn surfaces from C-O/C=O into C=N, carbide, and other chemical bonds and the cross-linking of the prepolymers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Lubricating Materials)
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10 pages, 3756 KiB  
Article
Alginate Fiber-Enhanced Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels with Superior Lubricating Property and Biocompatibility
by Ran Zhang, Wenhui Zhao, Fangdong Ning, Jinming Zhen, Huifen Qiang, Yujue Zhang, Fengzhen Liu and Zhengfeng Jia
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4063; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194063 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2306
Abstract
The design of a novel interpenetrating network hydrogel inspired by the microscopic architecture of natural cartilage based on a supramolecular sodium alginate (SA) nanofibril network is reported in this paper. The mechanical strength and toughness of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel were significantly [...] Read more.
The design of a novel interpenetrating network hydrogel inspired by the microscopic architecture of natural cartilage based on a supramolecular sodium alginate (SA) nanofibril network is reported in this paper. The mechanical strength and toughness of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel were significantly improved after being incorporated with the alginate nanofibril network. The multiple hydrogen bonds between PVA chains and alginate fibers provided an efficient energy dissipation, thus leading to a significant increase in the mechanical strength of the PVA/SA/NaCl hydrogel. The PVA/SA/NaCl hydrogel demonstrated superior water-lubrication and load-bearing performance due to noncovalent interactions compared with pure PVA hydrogels. Moreover, the bioactivity of the PVA/SA/NaCl hydrogel was proved by the MC3T3 cell proliferation and viability assays over 7 days. Therefore, alginate fiber-enhanced hydrogels with high strength and low friction properties are expected to be used as novel biomimetic lubrication materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Lubricating Materials)
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15 pages, 3596 KiB  
Article
Nanoparticle-Containing Hyaluronate Solution for Improved Lubrication of Orthopedic Ceramics
by Weihua Li, Yingying Wang, Wenwen Li, Lei Liu, Xiao Wang and Shiyong Song
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3485; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173485 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1272
Abstract
Premature failure caused by inadequate lubrication of an artificial joint is a major problem. Inspired by engine lubrication, in which various additives are used to enforce the oil lubricant, here, a bench test of a biomimetic lubricating fluid containing different substances was carried [...] Read more.
Premature failure caused by inadequate lubrication of an artificial joint is a major problem. Inspired by engine lubrication, in which various additives are used to enforce the oil lubricant, here, a bench test of a biomimetic lubricating fluid containing different substances was carried out. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), in the form of both molecules and nanoparticles, was used as a functional additive. Compared with BSA molecules, BSA nanoparticles dispersed in HA solution served as more effective additives in the biomimetic lubrication fluid to minimize the friction and wear of ceramic orthopedic materials made of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). Meanwhile, a tribo-acoustic study indicated that the “squeaking” problem associated with ZrO2 could be suppressed by the biomimetic fluid. Together with a cytotoxicity assessment, the BSA nanoparticle-incorporated biomimetic fluid was confirmed as a potential reagent for use in the clinic to maintain an even longer service life of artificial joints. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Lubricating Materials)
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