Synthesis and tribological properties of NbSe2/CeNbO4 nanocomposite

Novel NbSe2/CeNbO4 nanocomposites with high tribological properties have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-step process. The tribological properties of the as-prepared NbSe2/CeNbO4 as additives in the HVI500 base oil are evaluated by an UMT-2 multi-specimen tribo-tester and the topography of worn scars are obtained by using a common SEM, which indicate that the optimal NbSe2/CeNbO4 exhibits remarkable tribological performance with the average friction coefficient of base oil, and the base oil is close to 0.075 at the 50 N loads under a speed of 300 rpm. The enhanced tribological performance of base oil can be ascribed to the combination of NbSe2 and spherical-like CeNbO4, which acts as micro bearing to share the role of synergistic lubrication. More importantly, our work provides a fresh insight into designing lubricating oil additive and extending the actual application of NbSe2/CeNbO4 nanocomposites.