Effect of copper nanoclusters on the tribological properties of steel-steel friction pair in alcohol aqueous solutions

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of the alcohol atomicity on the self-organizing control capability in order to achieve the wearlessness effect in the friction pair of steel-steel. The copper-containing lubricant compositions are prepared in the electrolysis of the aqueous solutions of polyatomic alcohols with a copper anode in the ultrasonic field (complex processing). The laboratory testing of the tribological behavior of the lubricating compositions is carried out on four-ball machine using balls of SH-15 steel according to GOST 9490-75. Tribological properties of steel-steel friction pair are studied on the front friction machine AE-5. The copper particle size is defined by the sedimentation analysis method using the disk centrifuge of CPS Disc Centrifuge Model DC 24000 brand in the aqueous solutions of polyatomic alcohols. The topographic studies of the nanocluster metal structures are performed with the scanning probe microscope (SPM) Solver P 47 H in the semi-contact mode of the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The topographic investigations of a servovit film are conducted with the use of the scanning atomic force and power microscope of Compact AFM PHYWE. It is shown that the time increment of the integrated processing of a water-alcohol mixture leads to the strengthening of the antiwear properties of lubricant compositions. Increasing alcohol atomicity facilitates the implementation of the selective transfer, thus reducing wear and the transition time in the wearlessness mode. The resulting molecular ligand copper clusters with an average size of 25 nm are characterized by high uniformity. Thus, the friction track represents rather ironed surface with low roughness.