Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.

Micro-nano additive-enhanced lubricating greases are pivotal for extreme-condition tribology, yet optimizing synergistic additive concentrations remains constrained by conventional experimental designs. This study employs a central composite design (CCD) coupled with MATLAB response surface methodol...

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Main Authors: Ming Niu, Yunbo Gao, Xinyu Wang, Zhenghu Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323444
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author Ming Niu
Yunbo Gao
Xinyu Wang
Zhenghu Liu
author_facet Ming Niu
Yunbo Gao
Xinyu Wang
Zhenghu Liu
author_sort Ming Niu
collection DOAJ
description Micro-nano additive-enhanced lubricating greases are pivotal for extreme-condition tribology, yet optimizing synergistic additive concentrations remains constrained by conventional experimental designs. This study employs a central composite design (CCD) coupled with MATLAB response surface methodology to precisely determine optimal concentrations of nano-graphite (N-G), graphene (GN), and potassium borate (PB) in titanium complex grease. Fifteen formulations were tested under progressive loads (98-598 N) via four-ball tribometry, with SEM/XPS characterizing wear mechanisms. The synergistic grease (G-MX: 0.83 wt% N-G, 0.05 wt% GN, 2.59 wt% PB) reduced the average friction coefficient by 45.3% and wear scar diameter by 23.3% versus base grease, surpassing single-additive variants. The CCD-MATLAB framework addressed sampling limitations of prior orthogonal methods, enabling optimization beyond discrete testing points. Mechanistic analysis revealed a dual lubrication regime: physically adsorbed films (soap molecules and refined PB particles) dominated at low loads, while chemically bonded tribofilms (Fe₃C, B₂O₃, TiO₂) ensured wear resistance under extreme pressures.
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spelling doaj-art-e56013dfceb34deca12fc94daa214ecc2025-08-20T02:33:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01205e032344410.1371/journal.pone.0323444Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.Ming NiuYunbo GaoXinyu WangZhenghu LiuMicro-nano additive-enhanced lubricating greases are pivotal for extreme-condition tribology, yet optimizing synergistic additive concentrations remains constrained by conventional experimental designs. This study employs a central composite design (CCD) coupled with MATLAB response surface methodology to precisely determine optimal concentrations of nano-graphite (N-G), graphene (GN), and potassium borate (PB) in titanium complex grease. Fifteen formulations were tested under progressive loads (98-598 N) via four-ball tribometry, with SEM/XPS characterizing wear mechanisms. The synergistic grease (G-MX: 0.83 wt% N-G, 0.05 wt% GN, 2.59 wt% PB) reduced the average friction coefficient by 45.3% and wear scar diameter by 23.3% versus base grease, surpassing single-additive variants. The CCD-MATLAB framework addressed sampling limitations of prior orthogonal methods, enabling optimization beyond discrete testing points. Mechanistic analysis revealed a dual lubrication regime: physically adsorbed films (soap molecules and refined PB particles) dominated at low loads, while chemically bonded tribofilms (Fe₃C, B₂O₃, TiO₂) ensured wear resistance under extreme pressures.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323444
spellingShingle Ming Niu
Yunbo Gao
Xinyu Wang
Zhenghu Liu
Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.
PLoS ONE
title Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.
title_full Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.
title_fullStr Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.
title_full_unstemmed Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.
title_short Tribo-synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles.
title_sort tribo synergism in titanium complex grease using micro and nano particles
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323444
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AT yunbogao tribosynergismintitaniumcomplexgreaseusingmicroandnanoparticles
AT xinyuwang tribosynergismintitaniumcomplexgreaseusingmicroandnanoparticles
AT zhenghuliu tribosynergismintitaniumcomplexgreaseusingmicroandnanoparticles