Synthesis, Characterization and Adaptability of Carbon Nanotube-Based Solid Lubricants

We report on the experimental investigations of the tribological properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) based composites. Two different CNT composites were obtained by electro-depositing molybdenum disulfide (MoS$_{2})$ and silver (Ag) on vertically aligned assemblies of CNTs. Both of the CNT based composites, CNT-MoS$_{2,}$ as well as CNT-Ag, showed substantially lower values of friction coefficients and wear rates than traditional thin films of MoS$_{2,}$ and Ag. The adaptabilities of these composites under humid and non-humid conditions for CNT-MoS$_{2,}$ and high temperature cycling in the case of CNT-Ag composites, were also tested and will be presented. Our results indicate that the CNT-MoS$_{2}$ composites were able to sustain their lubricating properties under humid/non-humid cycling, whereas the CNT-Ag composites showed degradation of their frictional properties under high temperature cycling.