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Improved Substrate Protection and Self-Healing of Boundary Lubrication Film Consisting of Polydimethylsiloxane with Cationic Side Groups

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Abstract

The substrate protection and self-healing capability of a cationic polymer lubricant (CPL) on a silicon oxide surface were tested with a pin-on-disc tribometer and atomic force microscopy (AFM). CPL was made of low molecular weight polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) containing covalently attached quaternary ammonium cations and iodide counter-anions. CPL was spin-coated on the silicon oxide surface to form a 3–4 nm thick bound-and-mobile lubricant layer. The CPL film capable of binding to the SiO2 surface through ionic interactions is superior in substrate protection than the neutral PDMS film which cannot form the bound layer. The mobile component in the CPL film readily flows into the lubricant-depleted sliding contact region from the surrounding film. The self-healing capability of CPL via lateral flow is slightly enhanced in humid environments due to water uptake in the film. The 3–4 nm thick CPL film on silicon oxide takes 30–40 s to flow into a ~50 μm wide track, which corresponds to an apparent spreading rate of 2–3 × 10−11 m2/s.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. CMS-0528141 and CMS-0637028). The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. D. Kim for his help with the construction of the pin-on-disc tribometer.

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  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Erik Hsiao, Laura C. Bradley & Seong H. Kim

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  1. Erik Hsiao
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  2. Laura C. Bradley
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  3. Seong H. Kim
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Correspondence to Seong H. Kim.

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Hsiao, E., Bradley, L.C. & Kim, S.H. Improved Substrate Protection and Self-Healing of Boundary Lubrication Film Consisting of Polydimethylsiloxane with Cationic Side Groups. Tribol Lett 41, 33–40 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-010-9679-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-010-9679-0

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