Graphene lubricants last much longer than existing lubricants

One promising graphene application is in the lubricants market. Graphene NanoChem for example is commercializing graphene-based lubricants for the oil industry (and already signed a deal to supply 135,000 tons of these materials in the next five years). Now researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory discovered that those graphene-based lubricants last longer than conventional lubricants (made from graphite or molybdenum disulfide).

A single layer of graphene, for example, lasts for over 6,500 "wear cycles". This is a great improvement compared to conventional lubricants that will last for only 1,000 wear cycles - and this will only happen if you use about 1,000 layers of those materials.

Graphene can also work in a dry setting, unlike graphite which requires humidity. This is another important advantages for graphene-based lubricants.

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Posted: Oct 14,2014 by Ron Mertens