An ultralow-friction, low-temperature-lubrication, anti-volatilization and anti-corrosion organohydrogel merely containing nanosilica gelator

Although hydrogel lubricants are effective in eliminating problems caused by creeping or leakage of conventional liquid lubricants, they are easy to encounter issues such as solvent evaporation, electrochemical corrosions to metallic materials and freezing at sub-zero temperatures during the lubrication process. Here we created an organohydrogel lubricant with effective anti-freezing, anti-volatile and anti-corrosive performances using a ternary mixture of colloidal silica nanoparticles, glycerol and water. The hydrogel could attain a very low coefficient of friction at room temperature and could maintain its lubricity even when the environmental temperature reached as low as − 80 °C. Its lubrication mechanism was a synergistic effect between the formation of a physically protective film of glycerol/water mixture and the rolling and repairing actions of silica particles. The presence of glycerol endowed the hydrogel excellent resistance to water volatilization and electrochemical corrosions. Our study is anticipated to find applications in mechanical engineering, metal processing and aerospace industry.