Tribological performance of zeolite/sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate hybrid water-based lubricants

Water-based lubricants are a low-cost and environmentally-friendly alternative to their oil-based counterparts. Developing novel water-based formulations with improved lubricity is the key to broadening their industrial applications. We report herein two new water-based hybrid lubricants that integrate sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) with 4A and 13X zeolites respectively. Their tribological performance was assessed using a block-on-ring test. The addition of SDBS mitigated stick–slip motion, leading to the reduction of coefficient of friction (COF), but caused chemical erosion of the steel surface. The addition of zeolite into water led to an increase in COF due to the occurrence of three-body abrasion. The combination of SDBS and zeolite brought about unique and superior lubrication performance attributed to the synergetic interactions between them. The application of 4A + SDBS lubricant led to a 10% reduction in COF and a four-fold increase in material removal compared to water. The angular 4A particles augmented material removal in combination with the corrosive effect of SDBS. The use of 13X + SDBS lubricant, on the other hand, resulted in a 60% reduction in COF and a 94% decrease in wear comparing to water. This can be ascribed to the “lubricated micro-bearing” effect as a result of SDBS attachment on the rounded 13X particles.