The Coupling Influence of Load and Temperature on Boundary Friction of Fullerene Ball Nano-Additives

Y Rong and XR Geng and CY Sun and HL Hu and S Li and ZC Chen and WQ Lv, LUBRICANTS, 13, 547 (2025).

DOI: 10.3390/lubricants13120547

This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the frictional behavior of fullerene nano-additives on Fe-C alloy surfaces under varying loads and temperatures, focusing on boundary lubrication conditions. The results show that the x-direction friction force exhibits minimal sensitivity to normal pressure due to the high rigidity of fullerene molecules, which limits variations in real contact area and atomic interactions. In contrast, temperature has a significant effect: as it rises, enhanced atomic vibrations and thermal activation lower energy barriers for sliding. The coefficient of friction (COF) consistently decreases with both increasing load and temperature, driven by the mechanism of thermally activated motion. Although partial rotational motion from sliding to rolling friction was not explicitly observed in the simulations, the study remains within the sliding- dominated regime, highlighting the importance of temperature over load in controlling friction. A linear relationship between lnCOF and 1/k(B)T yields an average activation energy of similar to 0.03 eV, supporting a thermally activated friction mechanism. By introducing a composite parameter that combines load and temperature effects, the study provides a predictive framework for modeling friction behavior under thermo- mechanical coupling. These findings enhance the understanding of the friction-reducing capabilities of fullerene additives and offer a foundation for designing advanced nano-lubricants in boundary lubrication systems.

Return to Publications page