Synergistic Lubrication and Anti-Corrosion Effects of Benzotriazole and Ionic Liquid Under Current-Carrying Friction

The corrosive nature of ionic liquids (ILs) limits their potential as high-performance conductive lubricants in practical engineering applications. This study systematically investigates the effects of benzotriazole (BTA) as a corrosion inhibitor on the lubricating performance of ILs at different concentrations and applied currents, along with the underlying mechanisms. In the 0.5–5 A current range, BTA effectively reduces friction, wear, and arc erosion damage to the friction surface. As the applied current increases, the BTA-Fe reaction film suppresses oxide formation, thereby reducing electrical contact resistance (ECR). Moreover, the effectiveness of BTA is concentration-dependent: at 0.5 A and a BTA concentration of 0.5 wt%, the coefficient of friction (COF) decreases by 16.5%, and wear volume is reduced by 53.4%. Friction testing and surface analysis show that the BTA-IL combination exhibits synergistic lubrication and anti-corrosion effects under current-carrying conditions, with varying wear and lubrication mechanisms depending on the applied current.