| AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Thin Film | Thursday Sessions |
| Session TF-ThP |
| Session: | Aspects of Thin Films |
| Presenter: | M. Palacio, The Ohio State University |
| Authors: | M. Palacio, The Ohio State University B. Bhushan, The Ohio State University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
New magnetic tapes with ultrahigh storage density are expected to encounter increasingly more intolerant head and tape path materials, such that the fatty acid mixtures and fluorocarbons that are currently used as tape lubricants may no longer provide adequate wear protection. Ionic liquids are promising as lubricants for magnetic tapes because of their desirable thermal properties. Characterizing the nanotribological properties and degradation of ionic liquids is a crucial step in evaluating the potential of these novel materials as the next generation lubricant for tapes. In this study, commercial AME tape was lubricated with two ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium octyl sulfate (BMIM-OctSO4), and were investigated for the first time with atomic force microscopy. The adhesive and friction properties of the ionic liquids were compared to the perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant Z-TETRAOL. Tape durability studies were conducted by running the lubricated tape samples to failure. The tape life of the lubricated samples was compared to historical data on MP and ME tapes.