Synthesis and surface modification of uniform barium borate nanorods for lubrication

The single crystal surface-modified barium borate uniform nanorods were successfully synthesized via a wet method using Na2B4O7·10H2O and Ba(NO3)2 as raw materials in situ aqueous solution, with oleic acid (OA) as the modifying agent. Oleic acid was used to control the size and modify the surface property of the nanorods prepared from the precipitation reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the microstructure and morphology of the products. It can be inferred that the prepared materials exhibited nanorod morphology with a length of about 200–400 nm and the average diameter about 20 nm. Moreover, the modified BaB2O4 nanorods as oil additives which improve the load-carrying capacity and antiwear property of the base oil can decrease the friction coefficient very well.