The triprotic ammonium carboxylate ionic liquid crystal (2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium oleate (MO) has been studied as a neat lubricant and as a lubricant additive in two base oils, PAO6 and 100N. The lubricants have been used in commercially pure copper-OFHC copper balls on disk reciprocating sliding contact at room temperature. Neat MO presents a very good lubricating performance, with a friction coefficient of 0.06 and a wear rate of OFHC copper disk of 4.15 × 10−7 mm3/N·m. These results are, respectively, 94% and 98% lower than those obtained for PAO6, with similar reductions obtained with respect to 100N. MO has also been studied as an additive in 2wt.% proportion. The severe abrasive wear mechanism that takes place in the presence of neat base oils is reduced by the MO additive.
