A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites

Environmentally friendly synthesis techniques have gained increasing attention as viable methodologies for preparing nanocomposite. In particular, ball milling has emerged as a green and cost-effective method that ensures the control of size, shape and morphology to generate nanocomposites without c...

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Main Authors: Afshana Morshed, Fei Lin, Hui Wu, Zhao Xing, Sihai Jiao, Zhengyi Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Nano Express
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-959X/adfaf6
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author Afshana Morshed
Fei Lin
Hui Wu
Zhao Xing
Sihai Jiao
Zhengyi Jiang
author_facet Afshana Morshed
Fei Lin
Hui Wu
Zhao Xing
Sihai Jiao
Zhengyi Jiang
author_sort Afshana Morshed
collection DOAJ
description Environmentally friendly synthesis techniques have gained increasing attention as viable methodologies for preparing nanocomposite. In particular, ball milling has emerged as a green and cost-effective method that ensures the control of size, shape and morphology to generate nanocomposites without compromising sample quality or purity. In this work, a wet milling technique was employed to synthesise hBN/TiO _2 nanocomposites, which were characterised via XRD, XPS, and TEM. The results demonstrated that milling for 6 h with a 1:5 powder-to-ball ratio effectively deagglomerated and evenly distributed TiO _2 nanoparticles within the hBN nanosheets by promoting the formation of B-O interactions between the boron of hBN and oxygen of TiO _2 . Water-based lubricants prepared using the as-synthesised hBN/TiO _2 nanocomposites showed stable dispersion for up to 5 days, regardless of the milling conditions. Tribological tests via a ball-on-disk tribometer revealed that water-based lubricants with optimally milled nanocomposite exhibited outstanding tribological performance by reducing the average COF and wear by 78.4 and 91.3%, respectively, compared with dry conditions. However, extending the milling duration negatively affected the overall performance of the nanocomposites. The lubrication mechanism is attributed to the synergistic effect of both hBNNSs and TiO _2 NPs; layered hBN contributed to protective film formation, whereas TiO _2 NPs assisted in rolling and mending effects during the sliding process.
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spelling doaj-art-47b02ec1ff0e4f89821d02159c47c9612025-08-26T10:58:55ZengIOP PublishingNano Express2632-959X2025-01-016303501210.1088/2632-959X/adfaf6A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocompositesAfshana Morshed0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2516-1973Fei Lin1Hui Wu2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3322-5324Zhao Xing3Sihai Jiao4Zhengyi Jiang5School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, NSW 2522, AustraliaNorthwest Institute for Non-Ferrous Metal Research , Xi’an, Shaanxi 710016, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, NSW 2522, AustraliaBaosteel Research Institute (R&D Centre) , Baoshan Iron & Steel Co, Ltd, Shanghai 200431, People’s Republic of ChinaBaosteel Research Institute (R&D Centre) , Baoshan Iron & Steel Co, Ltd, Shanghai 200431, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, NSW 2522, AustraliaEnvironmentally friendly synthesis techniques have gained increasing attention as viable methodologies for preparing nanocomposite. In particular, ball milling has emerged as a green and cost-effective method that ensures the control of size, shape and morphology to generate nanocomposites without compromising sample quality or purity. In this work, a wet milling technique was employed to synthesise hBN/TiO _2 nanocomposites, which were characterised via XRD, XPS, and TEM. The results demonstrated that milling for 6 h with a 1:5 powder-to-ball ratio effectively deagglomerated and evenly distributed TiO _2 nanoparticles within the hBN nanosheets by promoting the formation of B-O interactions between the boron of hBN and oxygen of TiO _2 . Water-based lubricants prepared using the as-synthesised hBN/TiO _2 nanocomposites showed stable dispersion for up to 5 days, regardless of the milling conditions. Tribological tests via a ball-on-disk tribometer revealed that water-based lubricants with optimally milled nanocomposite exhibited outstanding tribological performance by reducing the average COF and wear by 78.4 and 91.3%, respectively, compared with dry conditions. However, extending the milling duration negatively affected the overall performance of the nanocomposites. The lubrication mechanism is attributed to the synergistic effect of both hBNNSs and TiO _2 NPs; layered hBN contributed to protective film formation, whereas TiO _2 NPs assisted in rolling and mending effects during the sliding process.https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-959X/adfaf6nanocompositeball millingwater-based lubricantstribology
spellingShingle Afshana Morshed
Fei Lin
Hui Wu
Zhao Xing
Sihai Jiao
Zhengyi Jiang
A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites
Nano Express
nanocomposite
ball milling
water-based lubricants
tribology
title A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites
title_full A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites
title_fullStr A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites
title_full_unstemmed A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites
title_short A tribological investigation of water-based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hBN/TiO2 nanocomposites
title_sort tribological investigation of water based nanolubricants prepared by mechanically synthesised hbn tio2 nanocomposites
topic nanocomposite
ball milling
water-based lubricants
tribology
url https://doi.org/10.1088/2632-959X/adfaf6
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