Effects of ionic liquid on the dispersion and tribological property of graphene lubricant

Abstract Graphene has attracted attention in the field of lubrication based on its excellent properties. However, the difficulty of graphene dispersion in base oil hinders its development. In this paper, the effects of ionic liquid as additives on the dispersion and lubricating properties of graphene lubricants were investigated. Results showed that after adding ionic liquid, the graphene could be still stably dispersed in base oil even after 30 days. Molecular simulation study showed that ionic liquid tended to insert into graphene layers, and promoted the affinity of graphene and base oil. Then, the tribological friction behaviour of ionic liquid/graphene lubricants was investigated by concentration of ionic liquid, applied load and sliding velocity. Results showed that the friction and wear property was improved better after adding ionic liquid. This work provides a new method to enhance the stability of the graphene lubricating oil, and thus broaden the graphene in tribological application.