 | Superlubricity was retained through testing of various conditions, like different temperatures, varying load on the surfaces, and increased velocity. The only exception came when they increased the relative humidity to 30%, which caused friction to increase dramatically, so this technique currently only works in dry, inert conditions. Water vapour can make its way into the space between the two surfaces, creating transient bonds that need to be broken to shift the surfaces.
The scientists are working on solving the issue, but even now this is a major find as it is the first time that superlubricity has been demonstrated for something other than two defect-free surfaces. |