Synthesis and tribological property of Ti₃C₂T_X nanosheets

The highly exfoliated Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets were synthesized by selective etching of the starting material of Ti₃AlC₂ using 40 % concentrated HF solution at 65 °C for 5 h. The effect of HF treatment temperature on the exfoliation degree was investigated by characterizing the morphology and microstructure of the Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets using SEM, XRD, and TEM. The results showed that the exfoliation degree of Ti₃C₂T_x was increased with increasing temperature. The role of the termination groups produced during HF treatment on the exfoliation degree was discussed. The tribological property of the prepared Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets as additives in PAO8 base oil was measured. The maximum reduction of friction and wear was achieved under additive concentration of 0.8 wt% for the highly exfoliated Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets. The different effects of Ti₃C₂T_x additives on the average friction coefficient and wear volume were analyzed, respectively.