MN2S: Optimization of self-assembled multilayer in the lubrication of space mechanisms

Context : 

The development of lubricants for space applications is a highly specialized challenge given the mechanical and physico-chemical environments in which the mechanisms operate. Whether on the ground, in air, in a vacuum, in a thermal vacuum, or in space, the systems operate in a succession of extreme environments.

A range of lubricants already exists, each with different specificities and different fields of application: fluid lubrication (oils), greases, solid materials (burnished deposits, PVD deposits, self-lubricating composites). In this project, we propose a new avenue for lubrication: molecular based lubricant that can be applied by simple spray. From its manufacture to its use, the product is eco-friendly, meeting the constraints imposed on the toxicity of products used in lubrication.

The objective of this project is to optimize the deposition of molecules and the formation of self-assembled layers in order to obtain a homoge...