Tribological Aspect of Nano-lubricant Based on Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and Graphene—A Review

In the present time, heat dissipation is one of the major concerns for any mechanical system sustention. The principal reason for the breakdown in any mechanical system is found due to the wear and tear of its mechanical parts. This problem can be solved by many methods; effective lubrication is one of them. Effective lubrication is based upon the selection of base oil/lubricants mixing with nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are present in scattered form in base oil named as ‘nano-lubricants’. This research review article represents a useful overview of significant research advancement on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene to be used as nanoparticles to synthesize nano-lubricants. The main reason for using these two as nanoparticle is because they have the similar surface characteristics and coalesce electronic structure. It is observed that graphene flakes have been inspected as an improver for lubricants due to their exceptional thermo-physical and tribological characteristics. On the other hand, nano-lubricants prepared with carbon nanotubes are likely to hold improved heat transfer properties because of the non-spherical shape of the CNTs. This comprehensive review could be useful for future in the research area of nano-lubrication because, in present time energy demands, precision manufacturing and mechanical losses are progressively rising that shows a need for an efficient lubricant for any mechanical system survival.