A new generation of lubricants based on pure ionic liquids of varying chemical structures has been evaluated in this work. Friction and wear behaviour of these ionic liquids have been investigated by an oscillating friction and wear tester with ball-on-disk geometry. Tribological experiments have been performed at 30, 100 and 170 °C and results have been compared with three reference lubricants. Ionic liquids were found to be partly superior to the reference lubricants. The chosen ionic liquids were assessed being acceptable to excellent regarding long-term thermal stability at 100 °C. At 150 °C a few ionic liquids still fulfilled requirements of negligible degradation characterized by low evaporation rates and constant physico-chemical properties. Furthermore results clearly showed that the choice of anion and cation is decisive for physico-chemical, tribological and long-term behaviour of ionic liquids.

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