Tribological Performance of Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide/Ni Composite as an Oil-Based Additive for Steel–Steel Contact

Synthetic MSH can solve the shortcomings of natural, self-repairing serpentine materials, but its tribological properties are not ideal. Herein, Ni was selected as an accelerant to prepare MSH/Ni composite powder to obtain better friction performance. The tribological performance of MSH/Ni was investigated using ball-disk wear tests, and the worn surfaces were characterized by SEM, EDS, WLI, and XPS. The results suggest that the tribological properties of the MSH/Ni composite are better than those of MSH and Ni, and the base oil wear scar area can be reduced by 78.13%. The excellent friction performance of MSH/Ni composite powder was attributed to the rolling bearing effect of Ni under low load, and the self-repairing effect of MSH under high load. Surface analysis demonstrated that as a lubricant additive, MSH/Ni can form a smoother tribofilm mainly composed of Fe3O4, FeOOH, SiOx, and NiO. MSH forms a film mainly through a tribochemical reaction, while Ni particles form a film through physical means of plastic flow. Additionally, compared with commercial lubricant additives, MSH/Ni composite powder not only has better anti-wear properties but also does not corrode metal parts.