The structure and friction of fatty acid surfactant films adsorbed on iron oxide surfaces lubricated by squalane are examined using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The structures of stearic acid and oleic acid films under static and shear conditions, and at various surface coverages, are described in detail, and the effects of unsaturation in the tail group are highlighted. At high surface coverage, the measured properties of stearic acid and oleic acid films are seen to be very similar. At low and intermediate surface coverages, the presence of a double bond, as in oleic acid, is seen to give rise to less penetration of lubricant in to the surfactant film and less layering of the lubricant near to the film. The kinetic friction coefficient is measured as a function of shear rate within the hydrodynamic (high shear rate) lubrication regime. Lubricant penetration and layering are observed to be correlated with friction coefficient. The friction coefficient with oleic acid depends only weakly on surface coverage, while stearic acid admits more lubricant penetration, and its friction coefficient increases significantly with decreasing surface coverage. Connections between film structure and friction are discussed.

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The continuously regenerating trap (CRT) is a diesel exhaust emission control that removes nearly all diesel particulate matter on a mass basis, but under some circumstances oxidation of sulfur leads to the formation of nanoparticles. The objective of the four year study was to determine CRT performance under controlled, real-world, on-road conditions, and to develop quantitative relationships between fuel and lubrication oil sulfur concentration and particle number exhaust emissions. It was shown that nanoparticle emissions are minimized by the use of ultralow sulfur fuels and specially formulated low sulfur lubrication oil. Nanoparticle emissions increased with higher exhaust temperatures. Fuel and lubrication oil sulfur increased the particle concentration by, on average, 36 x 10(6) and 0.14 x 10(6) part/cm3 for each 1 ppm increase in sulfur. On the other hand there was a decrease in nanoparticle emissions by the CRT as the system aged.