New material reduces wear on devices that operate on other planets

Researchers have developed a nano-sized carbide that can act as a super lubricant for

reducing wear on Mars rovers and otherspace devices. Scientists from the Missouri University of Science and Technology Department of Chemistry and Argonne National Laboratory's Center for Nanoscale Materials working with a class of two-dimensional nanomaterials (MXenes) have found that they are good at reducing friction. At the same time, it works better in extreme conditions, especially compared to analogues.

“These super lubricants can be particularlyuseful for antiwear and lubrication in extreme conditions, such as the Perseverance rover, ”the researchers noted. They describe their discovery in an article published in Materials Today Advances.

The SuperCam scientific instrument from the Perseverance rover sent its first results to Earth

MXenes are metal carbide materials,possessing unusual properties. For example, their ability to conduct electricity allows them to be used for energy storage, sensors and optoelectronics. A team of scientists ran a series of tests to determine how well they worked as solid lubricants with certain materials.

Researchers Conduct Ball Friction Testsin a disc at the nanometer scale by superimposing MXene titanium carbide on a silicon substrate that has been coated with a thin layer of silica, the main ingredient in sand. They then tested the MXene's ability to withstand wear by sliding on a diamond-like carbon steel ball. These tests were carried out in a dry nitrogen environment, which significantly reduced humidity, bringing these conditions closer to extreme.

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