Preparation and Tribological Properties of Self‐Lubricating Epoxy Resin Composites with Oil‐Containing Carbon‐Based Nanocapsules

Oil‐containing nanocapsules are prepared and used to solve the challenges arising from the low mechanical properties and high coefficient of friction (CoF) of epoxy resin (EP). The shell of the nanocapsules is amorphous carbon and the core is lubricating oil (ATF6, Automatic Transmission Fluid 6). The nanocapsules are uniform hollow spheres with an average particle diameter of 530 nm and a shell thickness of 60 nm. The mass content of the lubricating oil encapsulated in the nanocapsules can reach 64.88% upon vacuum impregnation. Enhancing with the oil‐containing nanocapsules, the tribological properties of EP composites are studied in detail. Compared with those of neat EP, the compressive strength of the EP composite with 7 vol% nanocapsules improves by 9.2%, and the CoF and wear rate reduce by 71.70% and 89.38%, respectively. During the friction process, the oil‐containing nanocapsules are crushed and the oil is released, which contributes to the antifriction property of EP composites. Moreover, the results are expected to open up new ideas for the research and development of self‐lubricating materials.