Surface coating from phosphonate ionic liquid electrolyte for the enhancement of the tribological performance of magnesium alloy.

A chronoamperometric method has been applied for the growth of a surface coating on AZ31B magnesium alloy, using the imidazolium alkylphosphonate room-temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylphosphonate ([EMIM][EtPO3H]) as electrolyte. A surface coating layer is obtained after 4 h under a constant voltage bias of -0.8 V with respect to the standard electrode.

Ionic liquids as advanced lubricant fluids.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are finding technological applications as chemical reaction media and engineering fluids. Some emerging fields are those of lubrication, surface engineering and nanotechnology. ILs are thermally stable, non-flammable highly polar fluids with negligible volatility, these characteristics make them ideal candidates for new lubricants under severe conditions, were conventional oils and greases or solid lubricants fail.