Nano-confined Ionic Liquid Simulations for Lubrication
Abstract
In lubricated contacts, viscosity of standard oils and greases might cause significant losses and heating. In this context, the behavior as lubricant of low viscosity alkane-based fluids were recently studied at the nanoscale [Savio2012, Berro2010]. Among other alternative fluids, room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are valued for their numerous interesting characteristics as lubricant [Minami2009]. These salts composed of molecular cations and anions were studied using a molecular dynamics approach. Comparison of first numerical results with density and viscosity experimental data were performed to validate a model and the structural and rheological properties of one RTIL obtained for several configurations of confined liquid film. The structural layering then observed agree with experimental studies [Perkin2011] and provides new informations on the film-surface interaction. Finally, liquid film response to shearing reveals wall slip phenomena under certain conditions of simulation.