Investigation on the lubrication performance of different carbon nanofluids for titanium alloy

Titanium alloys are difficult to machine and have poor tribological properties. This paper investigated the lubricating performance of different carbon nanoparticles in water-based lubrication for titanium alloys. The lubricating performance of four kinds of carbon nanofluids on titanium alloys were tested and the results showed that single-layer graphene had the smallest COF and wear volume. The interaction between nanoparticles and debris was an important factor that influenced the lubrication performance of nanoparticles for titanium alloy. The effect of length on the lubricating property of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. It was found that the shorter the length of the MWCNTs, the lower their friction coefficient and wear volume. Moreover, the hybrid nanofluid with graphene and spherical graphite in a ratio of 1:2 achieved a balance between lubricating performance and price, making it the optimal choice. The mechanisms of these nanoparticles were analyzed and the interaction between nanoparticles and debris was evaluated.