Patent ID: 9605228
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: C10M,C10N

Claim:
1. A method for reducing wear between two surfaces in at least one of sliding or rolling contact with one another, with relative motion between the two surfaces, said method comprising: introducing nanoparticles between the two surfaces; contacting the two surfaces for an amount of time that causes agglomerated wear particles to be generated between the two surfaces, wherein the agglomerated wear particles include materials from the two surfaces and the nanoparticle material embedded within the agglomerated wear particles, the nanoparticles introduced in an amount and having a composition that results in shear lines being generated within the agglomerated wear particles; matching the nanoparticle composition with the materials from which the two surfaces are fabricated to produce a sufficient number of shear lines that extend through the embedded nanoparticles and through the agglomerated wear particles to induce disassembly of the agglomerated wear particles under load; and subjecting the agglomerated wear particles to at least one load, using at least one of the two surfaces, such that the agglomerated wear particles disassemble along the shear lines into multiple smaller wear particles, and such that surfaces, defined on opposing sides of the shear lines, of the nanoparticles are exposed when the agglomerated wear particles disassemble along the shear lines.