A multi-functional experiment system for space tribology, developed by the CAS Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP), has passed its acceptance check. The feat, the first of its kind in China, is of special significance for the development of high-performance, space lubricants in this country.
The system is capable of carrying out various experiments on a material's performance of friction and abrasion in various circumstances, ranging from atomic oxygen, ultra-purple light, proton/electronic beams, high vacuum or high/low temperatures, according to Prof. LIU Weimin, director of the State Laboratory for Solid Lubrication at LICP. More importantly, it could implement tests in an emulated space environment.
The working reliability of a tribology system is a critical factor affecting the life-span and reliable operation of a spacecraft. So, it is of special significance in systematically deepening the understanding of the influence of the space environment on a lubricant's frictional characteristics and in development of new long-service lubricants and related techniques applicable to the space environment.
