An investigation of the effect of running-in with micron-sized diamonds on the lubrication performance of 5CB liquid crystal

The aim of this work was to examine the impact of running-in with micron-sized diamonds on the lubrication performance of 4-Cyano-4 '-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal (LC). It was observed that an appropriate runningin pretreatment resulted in a remarkable 37.9% decrease in the coefficient of friction (COF) compared to friction tests without running-in. This improvement in lubrication performance is believed to be attributed to the formation of a textured surface during the running-in process. Additionally, the study found a significant correlation between COF and various surface parameters, namely Sa, Ssk, Sku, Svk, and Spk. The wear surface exhibits characteristics such as high Sku, negative Ssk, Svk/Spk ratios, and smaller Str under the optimal running-in conditions.