Frictional behavior between silicon and steel coated with graphene oxide in dry sliding and water lubrication conditions

With growing concern over environmental problems, green technologies associated with reducing pollution have been rapidly progressing to attain a sustainable future. Among numerous green technologies currently under development, water lubrication technology that can replace the use of conventional oil lubricants can be a promising technology that may lead to huge benefits with respect to environmental and economic issues. In this work, good-lubricating performance was achieved by using reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coating on AISI 440C stainless steel (SS) ball that was slid against a silicon (Si) specimen under water lubrication condition. Compared to the sliding tests performed in dry condition, the friction coefficient of the rGO coated SS ball slid against the Si specimen under water lubrication condition could be reduced by 12 times. Also, it was shown that friction coefficient of the uncoated SS ball slid against the Si specimen in water and dry conditions were relatively higher than that of the sliding test conducted with the rGO coated SS ball in water lubrication. The experimental results demonstrated that the rGO coating on SS can effectively lower the friction in water lubrication conditions. This work are expected to aid in the development of environmental-friendly lubrication technology for mechanical components.