
Tethered Lubricants
Author(s) -
Lynden A. Archer
Publication year - 2010
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/1093593
Subject(s) - lubricant , materials science , tribology , polymer , nanoscopic scale , lubrication , planar , volume fraction , relaxation (psychology) , atomic force microscopy , friction modifier , molecular dynamics , nanotechnology , composite material , polymer science , polymer chemistry , chemistry , computational chemistry , psychology , social psychology , computer graphics (images) , computer science
We have performed extensive experimental and theoretical studies of interfacial friction, relaxation dynamics, and thermodynamics of polymer chains tethered to points, planes, and particles. A key result from our tribology studies using lateral force microscopy (LFM) measurements of polydisperse brushes of linear and branched chains densely grafted to planar substrates is that there are exceedingly low friction coefficients for these systems. Specific project achievements include: (1) Synthesis of three-tiered lubricant films containing controlled amounts of free and pendent PDMS chains, and investigated the effect of their molecular weight and volume fraction on interfacial friction. (2.) Detailed studies of a family of hairy particles termed nanoscale organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) and demonstration of their use as lubricants