Evaluation of ionic fluids as lubricants in manufacturing

Ionic fluids are liquid salts that have been investigated for a number of applications, including catalysis, their use as solvents and electrically conducting fluids. Chemically, they consist of ionically bonded species, and depending on the cation and anion, can be extremely valuable in the chemical processing industry. Another characteristic that makes them useful is a high viscosity and good lubrication properties. This paper examines a number of ionic fluids, and determines their suitability as lubricants. This involves determining rheological properties, including viscosity and high-pressure viscosity, generally using a Barus law. In addition, their traction behavior is measured to evaluate their lubricating properties. Since metalworking fluids (and lubricants in general) are used in non-isothermal situations, the thermal conductivity of these fluids have also been measured.