Environmentally-adaptive epoxy lubricating coating using self-assembled pMXene@polytetrafluoroethylene core-shell hybrid as novel additive

In this work, a novel lubricating additive was designed and synthesized via self-assembling of wrapped PTFE nanoparticles by exfoliated MXene nanosheets. Then the pMXene@polytetrafluoroethylene (pMXene@PTFE) hybrid was introduced into epoxy coating and painted to substrate. The composite with PTFE would effectively alleviate the oxidation of MXene sheets. The research results show that the epoxy-based composite coating has excellent friction-reduction and wear-resistance properties in dry air, humid air (RH = 80%), and vacuum (3 x 10(-5) Mbar) environments, achieving multi-environmental stability binary composite coating. The performance improvement of composite coating mainly depends on the following points: (a) the lubricating synergistic effect of MXene sheets and PTFE hybrid additive with core-shell structure; (b) the good dispersibility and adhesion of composite additive in the epoxy matrix; (c) the formation of protective film on the upper counterpart. The obtained friction results demonstrate that self-assembled pMXene@PTFE epoxy coatings greatly enhance the lubricating and antiwear properties in multiple environments, establishing a promising platform for the design and application of novel high-performance additive with environmental insensitivity. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this work, a novel lubricating additive was designed and synthesized via self-assembling of wrapped PTFE nanoparticles by exfoliated MXene nanosheets. The pMXene@polytetrafluoroethylene (pMXene@PTFE) hybrid was introduced into epoxy coating and painted to substrate, showing excellent friction-reduction and wear-resistance properties in multiple environments. These improvements are mainly attributed to the lubricating synergistic effect of MXene sheets and PTFE hybrid additive, good dispersibility and adhesion of composite additive, as well as the formation of protective film on the upper counterpart.