Scientists at TU Wien, an Austrian technology university, recently created a brand-new solid-state lubricant with exceptional capabilities. Named COK-47, the lubricant was formulated using both inorganic and organic chemistry.
From CPI Fluid Engineering to Fuchs, lubricant manufacturers invest in R&D (research and development) to formulate products for a wide array of sectors. These range from manufacturing to metalworking, and products include cutting-edge heat transfer fluids and food safe oil and grease. Finding the correct lubricant for a specific task is of extreme importance in many industries to save energy, but also to decrease friction, wear and overheating.
At the university based in Vienna, research groups led by Mechanical Engineering and Tribology Professor Carsten Gachot and Chemistry Professor Dominik Eder have been working closely together to develop improved and innovative lubricants.
The project’s team leaders have now presented an all-new solution with special properties. COK-47 isn’t liquid lubricant like an oil or fluid, but a solid powdery substance. The new material is made up of multiple layers of sheets that are atomically thin and appear on a nanoscale device, like tiny stacks of playing cards. When COK-47 interacts with water molecules, the sheets can slide past one and other easily to form a “tribofilm” that guarantees exceptionally low friction. As a result, COK-47 is a valuable lubricant when excessive moisture is present under humid conditions.
The discovery means the team has launched an entirely new research area for solid-state lubricants. It now aims to further enhance how the material behaves and explore how it might be adapted to meet different and specialised applications.
