Ambient Cured Solid Film Lubricants for Aerospace Systems: A Novel Material Design and Evaluation

ABSTRACT

Solid lubricant coatings are essential for reducing friction in applications where conventional lubricants are ineffective, such as in different temperature ranges, under heavy loads, and in aerospace systems. This study presents a unique ambient‐curable solid film lubricant with consistent tribological properties specifically developed to overcome the limitations of conventional heat‐cured coatings used in aerospace fasteners. Unlike traditional systems that require high‐temperature post‐processing and complex masking, the proposed coating utilizes an optimized in situ curing mechanism, allowing for complete curing at room temperature without any thermal treatment. A key novelty of this work lies in the combination of rapid ambient curing and process scalability within a single coating system. The coating achieves a low and stable average coefficient of friction (0.13–0.16) under varying loads and delivers a consistent nut factor of 0.12–0.16, meeting the stringent reliability requirements of launch vehicle fasteners. Additionally, the coating becomes touch‐dry within 5 min and fully cures within 12 h at room temperature, enabling fast handling and high‐throughput manufacturing. Furthermore, it satisfies aerospace outgassing limits (TML < 1% and CVCM < 0.1%). The integration of performance, simplicity, and scalability highlights the distinctiveness of this study and low‐cost lubricant coating as a promising solution for launch vehicle fasteners.