Lipids have long been credited as boundary lubricants within the body, everywhere from the lungs to the hip joint. However, there is limited direct observation of this lipid lubrication at work or of the formation of any protective boundary layer in a moving contact.To observe if lipid vesicles will form and maintain a protective layer in a contact, fluorescence imaging of lipid vesicles has been conducted in a sliding contact. This is complemented with measurements of film thickness with continued sliding, using interferometry. To test how the structure of the lipids might affect the build-up of a boundary layer, both multilamellar and unilamellar vesicles have been used.For all solutions, a build-up of lipid is observed in and around the contact with time. Results show that the unilamellar vesicles provide more wear protection than multilamellar vesicles. Reasons for this, such as vesicle size and resistance to shear are discussed.

Lipid lubrication in a sliding contact

244th National Meeting (2012)

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