THE USE OF A MONOMOLECULAR PROTECTIVE FILM ON THE SURFACE OF FRICTION UNITS TO INCREASE THE RELIABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

One of the factors limiting the reliability of machines and mechanisms is the wear of the contacting surfaces of friction units, which affects their service life. To prevent it, the friction units are treated with lubricants. Surfactants containing fluorinated hydrocarbon radicals are of the greatest interest as an additive to lubricants. (Research purpose) The research purpose is in studying the effect of a protective monomolecular film of fluorinated surfactants on the processes of friction and wear occurring on the surfaces of friction units under conditions of boundary and hydrodynamic friction. (Materials and methods) The structure of the metal was studied before and after the application of a monomolecular protective film, the contact potential difference and the hardness of the samples were determined. The influence of surface energy on the oil absorption of materials was evaluated. (Results and discussion) It was revealed using the contact potential difference method, the process of applying a monomolecular protective film ends after 1.5-3.0 minutes and further exposure in the composition does not lead to a change in the contact potential difference. The values of the adhesion action and wetting energy for surfaces with this coating indicate that the surface energy does not depend on the material, but is determined by the coating of the monomolecular protective film of the test sample. The compositions of 0.05 percent of solutions of fluorinated surfactants form a more porous coating compared to the concentration of 0.5 percent. (Conclusions) Fluorinated surfactants have a high tribotechnical efficiency as antifriction and anti-wear nanomaterials. Their use makes it possible to protect the contact surfaces with a film 3-6 nm thick both under boundary and under hydrodynamic friction. The specified protective film performs the function of a "compensator" for various lubrication modes.

Influence of Matrix and Surfactant on Piezoelectric and Dielectric Properties of Screen-Printed BaTiO3/PVDF Composites

The aim of this paper was to provide insight into the impact of matrix and surfactants on the rheology, morphology, and dielectric and piezoelectric properties of screen-printed BaTiO3/PVDF composites. Two matrices were compared (PVDF–HFP and PVDF–TrFE), and lead-free BaTiO3 microparticles were added in volume fractions of 30% and 60%. Here, we demonstrated that the presence of surfactants, helping to prevent phase separation, was crucial for achieving a decent screen-printing process. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy together with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the two “fluoro-benzoic acid” surfactants established stable bonds with BaTiO3 and improved the dispersion homogeneity, while the “fluoro-silane” proved to be ineffective due to it evaporating during the functionalization process. PVDF–TrFE composites featured a more homogeneous composite layer, with fewer flaws and lower roughness, as compared with PVDF–HFP composites, and their inks were characterized by a higher viscosity. The samples were polarized in either AC or DC mode, at two different temperatures (25 °C and 80 °C). The 30% BaTiO3 PVDF–TrFE composites with two fluorinated surfactants featured a higher value of permittivity. The choice of the surfactant did not affect the permittivity of the PVDF–HFP composites. Concerning the d33 piezoelectric coefficient, experimental results pointed out that PVDF–TrFE matrices made it possible to obtain higher values, and that the best results were achieved in the absence of surfactants (or by employing the fluoro-silane). For instance, in the composites with 60% BaTiO3 and polarized at 80 °C, a d33 of 7–8 pC/N was measured, which is higher than the values reported in the literature.

Synthesis and application of non-bioaccumulable fluorinated surfactants: a review

Due to negative effects of conventional fluorinated surfactants with long perfluorocarbon chain (CxF2x+ 1, x≥7) like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), these conventional long perfluorocarbon chain surfactants have been restricted in many industrial applications. Nowadays, their potential non-bioaccumulable alternatives have been developed to meet the requirements of environmental sustainable development. In this paper, the recent advances of potential non-bioaccumulable fluorinated surfactants with different fluorocarbon chain structures, including the short perfluorocarbon chain, the branched fluorocarbon chain, and the fluorocarbon chain with weak points, are reviewed from the aspects of synthesis processes, properties, and structure-activity relationships. And their applications in emulsion polymerization of fluorinated olefins, handling membrane proteins, and leather manufacture also are summarized. Furthermore, the challenges embedded in the current non-bioaccumulable fluorinated surfactants are also highlighted and discussed with the hope to provide a valuable reference for the prosperous development of fluorinated surfactants. Graphical abstract

Milling Performance of Fluorinated Surfactants-Based Coating Tools in Processing Particleboard

To investigate the cutting performance of tools with fluorinated surfactant-based coatings, the milling performance of melamine-coated particleboard was characterized by means of the cutting force, tool wear and surface quality. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a three-dimensional super field microscope were used to observe the morphologies of coated and uncoated tool wear and machined surfaces. The results showed that (1) the surface wettability of the coated tool is lower than that of the uncoated tool; (2) the main wear mechanisms for tools with a fluorinated surfactant-based coating are abrasive wear and microchipping. The fluorinated surfactant-based coating acts as a solid lubricant, which can obviously reduce adhesion wear; (3) the surface roughness obtained by machining using coated tools is much smaller than that found for uncoated tools.