Graphene: An effective lubricant for tribological applications

Abstract

The objective of this review paper is to investigate the basic tribological behavior of graphene, the first existing 2D material and to enhance its performance as a self-lubricating material. The significant and prospective impact of this new class of material was first acknowledged in 2004 by Geim and Konstantin Novoselov who were awarded Noble prize for their discovery and development of graphene in 2010. In previous decades, reducing friction coefficient and wear-related failures in mechanical systems has gained serious attention due to friction’s adverse impacts on effective life and durability of the mechanical systems. To reduce the friction and wear mechanism in the moving mechanical systems, the research proceeds in the development of novel materials, coatings, and lubricants (both liquid and solid) which have the potential of reducing friction and wear in materials. Despite intense research and development efforts on graphene for numerous existing as well as future applications, its tribological potential as a lubricant is still relatively uncharted. In this review, we provide relevant research of recent tribological studies on graphene especially, its use as a self-lubricating solid or as an additive for lubricating oils. A comprehensive review is provided with the aim to analyze such properties of graphene.