Fulerenos against friction
2005/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
In a European project coordinated by Tekniker, molybdenum bisulfide and wolfram bisulfide will be used to protect surfaces against friction. These compounds will be used with spherical form, that is, converted into fulerenes.
In fact, the spheres of these compounds, like onions, contain layers that act as nanobearings between surfaces in contact. In this way, on the one hand, it is possible to improve the coefficient of friction between surfaces and, on the other, reduce the wear of the materials. So far it has not been achieved, since the strategies were aimed at improving only one of these two aspects.
The objective is to apply fulerenes in three fields: hard surfaces, paints and lubricants. To cite an example, the incorporation of fulerenos in the paintings used to paint planes facilitates the sliding of water on the surface of the plane and prevents the formation of ice that generates so many problems.
