Friction and corrosion properties of phytic acid ionic liquid-water mixtures

The study involved the preparation of mixtures of phytic acid ionic liquid and water, which were analyzed for their rheological, frictional, and electrochemical properties. The viscosity and friction characteristics of the mixtures are significantly affected by the water content. Mixtures with low water content (below 30%) result in low friction and negligible wear because of the generation of a close adsorption film and high viscosity. Especially, steel tribo-pairs lubricated with mixtures containing 25% water exhibited friction coefficients lower than 0.06. However, when the water content exceeds 35%, the friction coefficient increases dramatically, and the tribo-surface suffers from severe corrosive wear due to the predominance of the tribo-film in the frictional properties. These results were confirmed through XPS and electrochemical testing.