Auxiliary emergency protective lubrication system for metal mechanical components

1. An auxiliary lubricant comprising:

a composition comprising intermediate molecular weight surfactant-functionalized nanoparticles dispersed in a base oil, wherein the intermediate molecular weight surfactant-functionalized nanoparticles comprise head groups adsorbed on nanoparticle surfaces, leaving intermediate molecular weight tails extended out and forming a boundary-like layer around the nanoparticle surfaces, said intermediate molecular weight tails having backbones 15-30 atoms in length.

2. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles comprises at least one of a carbon-containing phase and an inorganic phase.

3. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 2 , wherein said nanoparticles in said inorganic phase are selected from the group consisting of boric acid, metal sulfides, and alkali silicates.

4. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 3 , wherein said metal sulfide comprises Zn, W, and Mo.

5. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 3 , wherein said alkali silicate comprises Na and K.

6. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 2 , wherein said carbon-containing phase comprises at least one of graphene, ultra-dispersed nano-crystalline diamond and graphite, spheroidal carbons, and carbon nanorods.

7. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles comprise a dimension ranging from about 1 nanometer to about 20 nanometers.

8. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles comprise a dimension less than 1 nanometer.

9. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles comprise a narrow-size distribution with an aspect ratio greater than 2.

10. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles are functionalized with amphoteric surfactants containing alcohol, amine, carboxylic acid, carbonate, ester, ether alcohol, sulfate, sulphonate, phosphate, phosphite, or phosphonate head groups and intermediate molecular weight hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, or siloxane tails.

11. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles are dispersed in a carrier base oil.

12. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 11 , wherein said carrier base oil is selected from the group consisting of mineral oils, polyol esters, polyalkylene glycols, alkylbenzenes, polyalphaolefins, and polyvinyl.

13. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said nanoparticles comprise a size and a geometry configured to provide an asperity-asperity separation in a boundary lubrication regime.

14. The auxiliary lubricant according to claim 1 , wherein said lubricant is configured to lubricate through multiple lubrication regimes, said multiple lubrication regimes comprising at least one of a boundary lubrication regime, mixed lubrication regime; an elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication regime; and a hydrodynamic lubrication regime.