THE ASTONISHING DIVERSITY IN THE WORLD OF 2D MATERIALS - LESSONS LEARNED FROM MXENES AND TRANSITION METAL CARBO CHALCOGENIDES FOR SOLID LUBRICATION

Tribology, the science of friction and wear, is gaining more public attention as an efficient, reliable, and sustainable operation of machine elements is becoming increasingly important. This is relevant for almost all industrial sectors since machines and mechanical systems with moving parts in relative motion are vital for most systems [1]. According to Holmberg and Erdemir, 23% of the world's energy consumption originates from tribological contacts [1]. Lubricants are commonly introduced between the rubbing surfaces, thus minimizing friction and wear. The most common lubricants are petroleum-based mineral oils in liquid form [2]. However, diminishing oil resources, the need for ever-lower frictional losses, and higher demands on the lubricants in terms of resistance against extreme conditions such as high temperatures or low environmental pressures push liquid lubricants to their limits [3]. It is expected that new lubricant technologies will contribute greatly to a reduction of friction and wear such as the use of new 2D materials coatings in particular MXenes, Transition Metal Carbo Chalcogenides (TMCCs), or Black Phosphorous (BP). In this talk, examples of new 2D materials coatings will be given and discussed in light of energy savings and sustainability and their potential impact on aerospace applications.