Potential application of graphene nanoplatelets as a high temperature lubricant for hot rolling

Abstract Graphene has been shown to be a promising solid lubricant to reduce friction and wear of the sliding counterparts, and currently is reported to only function below 600 °C. In this study, its potential as a lubricant above 600 °C was studied using a ball-on-disc tribo-meter and a rolling mill. Friction results suggest that a reduction up to 50% can be obtained with graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) under lubricated conditions between 600–700 °C when compared with dry tests. and this friction reduction can last more than 3 min. At 800 and 900 °C, the friction reduction is stable for 70 and 40 s, respectively, which indicates that GnP can potentially provide an effective lubrication for hot metal forming processes. Hot rolling experiments on steel strips indicate that GnP reduces the rolling force by 11%, 7.4%, and 6.9% at 795, 890, and 960 °C, respectively. These friction reductions are attributed to the easily sheared GnP between the rubbing interfaces. A temperature higher than 600 °C will lead to the gasification of the residual graphene on the strip surface, which is believed to reduce the black contamination from traditional graphite lubricant.