RESUMEN
The use of newly synthesized alkylether-thiazolium ionic liquids as lubricants is described for the first time. Two ionic liquids composed of a thiazolium cation and a bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Th][Tf2N]) or dicyanamide ([Th][(NC)2N]) anion have been studied, and their tribological behavior has been compared with that of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([Im][Tf2N]) in pin-on-disk tests using sapphire balls against AISI 52100 or AISI 316L steels. All ionic liquids show higher contact angles on AISI 316L steel than on AISI 52100, the lowest values found for ([Im][Tf2N]) on both steel surfaces. AISI 52100 shows similar friction coefficients for all lubricants, and negligible wear rates for the ionic liquids containing the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide anion. Immersion tests show no corrosion of AISI 52100 in imidazolium or thiazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ionic liquids. AISI 316L shows similar friction coefficients for both bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ionic liquids, but the lowest wear rate is obtained for [Th][Tf2N]. An increase in friction coefficient and wear rate is observed for thiazolium dicyanamide. This increase is related to a tribocorrosion process due to decomposition of the thiazolium cation. XPS shows the formation of iron sulfide on the wear track on AISI 316L after lubrication with thiazolium dicyanamide. No tribocorrosion processes take place for the [Tf2N] ionic liquids.
RESUMEN
A chronoamperometric method has been applied for the growth of a surface coating on AZ31B magnesium alloy, using the imidazolium alkylphosphonate room-temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylphosphonate ([EMIM][EtPO3H]) as electrolyte. A surface coating layer is obtained after 4 h under a constant voltage bias of -0.8 V with respect to the standard electrode. The coating nucleation and growth process correlates well with a 3D progressive mechanism. X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) analysis of [EMIM][EtPO3H] shows new P 2p and O 1s peaks after its use as electrolyte, as a consequence of reaction between the phosphonate anion and the magnesium substrate. Angle-resolved XPS (ARXPS) analysis of [EMIM][EtPO3H] did not show any change in the composition of the surface before and after chronoamperometry, since the sampling depth (1.5 nm at the highest emission angle) is larger than the cation and anion sizes (ca. 7 and 5 Å, respectively). Characterization of the coating was made by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focussed ion beam SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, XPS, and ARXPS. FIB-SEM shows that the coating presents a mean thickness of 374 (±36) nm and contains magnesium and aluminum phosphates. Linear reciprocating tribological tests under variable load show that the presence of the coating can reduce friction coefficients of the coated AZ31B against steel up to 32% and wear rates up to 90%, with respect to the uncoated alloy.
