Liquid metal microcapsules induced formation of dual-layer tribofilm for enhanced wear resistance in fabric composites

Abstract

This study presents Gallium liquid metal (LM) as the core material, with molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) serving as the shell, to create nanoflower-like M@G microcapsules aimed at enhancing tribological performance. The M@G microcapsules were incorporated into the in-situ polymerization of carboxylated poly(urea-imide) for a PEEK/PTFE fabric liner (P-M liner) fabrication. under 24.96 MPa and rotational speed of 600 r/min, the wear rate and average coefficient of friction of the P-M liner decreased by 66.06 % and 22.82 %, respectively, compared to the pure sample. During the friction process, the liquid metal microcapsules infiltrated the counterpart, forming a dual-layer tribofilm with Ga-rich and C-rich films. This study demonstrates the superior tribological performance of liquid metal microcapsules, showing significant potential for high-speed friction applications.