Preparation and tribological properties of complex nanoparticle styrene/calcium borate with core-shell structure

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a potential nanoparticles lubricant additive for solving the problem of the insolubility and stable dispersity; the complex nanoparticles with core-shell structures are less studied in the field. Therefore, this paper determines novel complex nanoparticles and their tribological properties. Design/methodology/approach – According to the conventional preparation method, the complex nanoparticle styrene/calcium borate (PS/O-CaB) was synthesized. The microstructures of the as-obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Tribological properties of PS/O-CaB used as lubricating oil additive were evaluated on four-ball tribometer. The worn surface of the steel ball was investigated by a three-dimensional non-contact surface profilometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Findings – The results of the structure characteristic indicate two different crystalline forms, namely, Ca2B6O11 and Ca2B2O5, and the average size of calcium borate nanoparticles in PS/O-CaB is about 20-40 nm. Moreover, the good tribological properties are due to a wear resistance film containing both depositions and the tribochemical reaction products which comprise B2O3, FeB and Fe2O3. Originality/value – Novel complex nanoparticles with core-shell structure (PS/O-CaB) were successfully prepared. Moreover, the PS/O-CaB shows excellent tribological capacity such as load-carrying, friction-reducing and antiwear property.