Tribopolymerization of n-butyl acrylate on the steel–steel rubbing surface

Antiwear property of n-butyl acrylate (BA) in hexadecane for steel–steel friction elements was studied. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) images of worn scars of balls, and width measurements of worn tracks of disks indicate that BA has good antiwear property. olymerization (polymerization initiated by the rubbing surface) tests of BA used as lubricant instead of an additive were conducted, to classify antiwear mechanisms. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) of washing solution and thermogravimetry (TG) traces of wear debris confirmed that tribopolymers were generated on steel–steel interface in situ. Also considerable wear products were precipitated from vacuum-condensed worn fluids with methanol as the non-solvent, characterized by IR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, showing that the precipitates were poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) with very high molecular weight. dy tribopolymerization mechanisms of BA, effects of sliding velocities and adding 1 wt% n-butyl alcohol to BA fluids on the mass of tribopolymers were investigated, respectively. Expectedly, the mass of tribopolymers dramatically enhanced with the sliding velocity increasing, showing that the tribopolymers were generated just due to friction processes. Additionally, tribopolymerization of styrene (easy to thermopolymerize) was studied. Unexpectedly—but not unreasonably—no substantial worn products were precipitated from vacuum-condensed worn fluids. Based on these experimental results, an exoelectron-radical-tribopolymerization mode, consistent with some Kajdas’ tribochemistry theories, for BA was proposed.