Breaking the Tradeoff between Oil Film Thickness and Viscous Friction: <i>n</i>-Alcohol-Containing Lubricants in High-Pressure Contacts.

ABSTRACT: Low-friction lubricant formulations are urgently needed to improve the energy efficiency of machines. Here, we show that blending 1-dodecanol with a hydrocarbon oil improves lubrication in nonconformal sliding/rolling contacts by simultaneously increasing hydrodynamic film thickness and reducing viscous friction. This is due to pressure-induced polymorphic phase transformations in the 1-dodecanol molecules after they flow through the film-thickness-determining inlet and reach the load-supporting zone. At relatively low pressures, 1-dodecanol forms a lamellar hexagonal solid polymorph that gives durable superlubricity and then, at higher pressures, it forms an orthorhombic polymorph. Both polymorphs cause anomalously low friction when blended into various hydrocarbon base oils over a wide r

SUBMITTER: Reddyhoff T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11955952 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature