Nano-tribology compositions and related methods including hard particles

1. A composition comprising:

a plurality of hard particles;

a plurality of lubricant nanoparticles having an average particle size of less than or equal to about 500 nm and an open architecture; and

an organic medium intercalated in the lubricant nanoparticles.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one of a metal boride, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metal oxide, a metal silicide, a solid state solution of any thereof, or a particulate mixture of any thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one of a metal boride, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metal oxide, a metal silicide, a solid state solution of any thereof, or a particulate mixture of any thereof, wherein the metal comprises at least one element selected from groups IIIA, IVB, VB, and VIB of the periodic table.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one of a metal boride, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metal oxide, a metal silicide, a solid state solution of any thereof, or a particulate mixture of any thereof, wherein the metal comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, and tungsten.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one of synthetic diamond, natural diamond, amorphous carbon, or nanocrystalline carbon.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the synthetic diamond particles or the natural diamond particles comprise polycrystalline diamond.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal carbide.

8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal carbide selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbides, molybdenum carbides, chromium carbides, tantalum carbides, niobium carbides, vanadium carbides, hafnium carbides, zirconium carbides, titanium carbides, boron carbides, silicon carbides, solid state solutions of any thereof, and particulate mixtures of any thereof.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal nitride.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal nitride selected from the group consisting of cubic boron nitrides, silicon nitrides, titanium nitrides, zirconium nitrides, hafnium nitrides, tungsten nitrides, solid state solutions of any thereof, and particulate mixtures of any thereof.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal oxide.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxides, cerium oxides, titanium oxides, zirconium oxides, solid state solutions of any thereof, and particulate mixtures of any thereof.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal boride.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal boride selected from the group consisting of titanium diboride, zirconium diboride, hafnium diboride, tantalum borides, tungsten borides, silicon borides, solid state solutions of any thereof, and particulate mixtures of any thereof.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal carbonitride.

16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one metal carbonitride selected from the group consisting of boron carbonitrides, silicon carbonitrides, titanium carbonitrides, zirconium carbonitrides, hafnium carbonitrides, tungsten carbonitrides, solid state solutions of any thereof, and particulate mixtures of any thereof.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles have an average particle size of less than or equal to 500 nm.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant nanoparticles have an average particle size of less than or equal to 100 nm.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant nanoparticles are intercalated and encapsulated with the organic medium.

20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles, tungsten disulfide nanoparticles, hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles, graphite nanoparticles, and combinations of any thereof.

21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant nanoparticles comprise molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles.

22. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of oil mediums, grease mediums, alcohol mediums, composite oils, canola oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, ethyl and methyl esters of rapeseed oil, monoglycerides, distilled monoglycerides, diglycerides, acetic acid esters of monoglycerides, organic acid esters of monoglycerides, sorbitan, sorbitan esters of fatty acids, propylene glycol esters of fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, hydrocarbon oils, n-hexadecane, phospholipids, and combinations of any thereof.

23. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises an oil medium selected from the group consisting of a composite oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, a hydrocarbon oil, a mineral oil, and combinations of any thereof.

24. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises a vegetable oil.

25. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a solid lubricant material in addition to the lubricant nanoparticles, wherein the solid lubricant material is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, soft metals, silver, lead, nickel, copper, cerium fluoride, zinc oxide, silver sulfate, cadmium iodide, lead iodide, barium fluoride, tin sulfide, zinc phosphate, zinc sulfide, mica, boron nitrate, borax, fluorinated carbon, zinc phosphide, boron, and combinations of any thereof.

26. The composition of claim 25 , wherein the additional solid lubricant material comprises nanoparticles having an average particle dimension of less than or equal to about 500 nm.

27. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a base lubricant material, wherein the hard particles and the lubricant nanoparticles are dispersed in the base lubricant material.

28. The composition of claim 27 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of an oil, a grease, a plastic, a gel, a wax, a silicone, a hydrocarbon oil, a vegetable oil, corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil, soybean oil, a mineral oil, a paraffin oil, a synthetic oil, a petroleum gel, a petroleum grease, a hydrocarbon gel, a hydrocarbon grease, a lithium based grease, a fluoroether based grease, ethylenebistearamide, and combinations of any thereof.

29. The composition of claim 27 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of an oil, a grease, a plastic, a gel, a paste, a wax, a silicone, and combinations of any thereof.

30. The composition of claim 27 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises an oil or a grease.

31. The composition of claim 27 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a mineral oil, a paraffin oil, a synthetic oil, a petroleum grease, a hydrocarbon grease, a lithium based grease, and combinations of any thereof.

32. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an emulsifier.

33. The composition of claim 32 , wherein the emulsifier comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of lecithins, phospholipids, soy lecithins, detergents, distilled monoglycerides, monoglycerides, diglycerides, acetic acid esters of monoglycerides, organic acid esters of monoglycerides, sorbitan esters of fatty acids, propylene glycol esters of fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, compounds containing phosphorous, compounds containing sulfur, compounds containing nitrogen, and combinations of any thereof.

34. The composition of claim 32 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a compound containing phosphorous.

35. The composition of claim 34 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a phospholipid.

36. The composition of claim 34 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a lecithin.

37. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an antioxidant.

38. The composition of claim 34 , wherein the antioxidant comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of hindered phenols, alkylated phenols, alkyl amines, aryl amines, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol, 4,4′-di-tert-octyldiphenylamine, tert-butyl hydroquinone, tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate, phosphites, thioesters, and combinations of any thereof.

39. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an anticorrosion agent.

40. The composition of claim 39 , wherein the anticorrosion agent comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metal bisalkylphenolsulphonates, dithiophosphates, alkenyl succinic acid half-amides, and combinations thereof.

41. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one biocidal.

42. The composition of claim 41 , wherein the biocidal comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of alkyl benzothiazole, hydroxylamine benzothiazole, an amine salt of an alkyl succinic acid, an amine salt of an alkenyl succinic acid, a partial alkyl ester of an alkyl succinic acid, a partial alkyl ester of an alkenyl succinic acid, and combinations of any thereof.

43. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant nanoparticles are functionalized with a catalyst.

44. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant nanoparticles are functionalized with a dispersant agent.

45. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles are functionalized with a catalyst.

46. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles are functionalized with a dispersant agent.

47. A lubricant comprising the composition of claim 1 .

48. A composition comprising:

a plurality of hard particles;

a plurality of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles having an average particle size of less than or equal to about 100 nm and an open architecture; and

an oil medium intercalated in and encapsulating the molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles.

49. The composition of claim 48 , wherein the oil medium is selected from the group consisting of a composite oil, canola oil, a vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, a hydrocarbon oil, a mineral oil, and combinations of any thereof.

50. The composition of claim 48 , wherein the organic medium comprises a vegetable oil.

51. The composition of claim 48 , further comprising an emulsifier.

52. The composition of claim 51 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a compound containing phosphorous.

53. The composition of claim 51 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a phospholipid.

54. The composition of claim 51 , wherein the emulsifier comprises a lecithin.

55. The composition of claim 48 , further comprising a base lubricant material, wherein the hard particles and the molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles are dispersed in the base lubricant material.

56. The composition of claim 55 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of an oil, a grease, a plastic, a gel, a wax, a silicone, and combinations of any thereof.

57. The composition of claim 55 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises an oil or a grease.

58. The composition of claim 55 , wherein the base lubricant material comprises at least one oil selected from the group consisting of a mineral oil, a paraffin oil, a synthetic oil, a petroleum grease, a hydrocarbon grease, a lithium based grease, and combinations of any thereof.

59. The composition of claim 48 , further comprising one or more of an antioxidant, an anticorrosion agent, a biocidal, and a solid lubricant material in addition to the molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles.

60. The composition of claim 48 , wherein the hard particles comprise at least one of a metal boride, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metal oxide, a metal silicide, a solid state solution of any thereof, or a particulate mixture of any thereof, wherein the metal comprises at least one element selected from groups IIIA, IVB, VB, and VIB of the periodic table.

61. The composition of claim 48 , wherein the hard particles have an average particle size of less than or equal to 500 nm.