WS2 Used in Catadioptric Telescope Lubrication

With good lubricating performance and excellent substrate adhesion, WS₂ can be applied in catadioptric telescope lubrication. The lens tube and other important parts can be lubricated with this material to ensure the high efficiency and stability of the celestial observation.

What is a catadioptric telescope?

Catadioptric telescope is an optical telescope that combines specifically shaped mirrors and lenses to form an image. Both refraction and reflection are combined in a catadioptric system. The light first passes through a lens to produce twists and turns, and then it is reflected and focused by a reflector. Schmidt of Germany invented this kind of telescope in 1938. This kind of telescope can keep the star in the field of the view all the time with a uniform rotation in the direction of right ascension.

This type of telescope is composed of lens barrel, correction lens, primary mirror, secondary mirror and other parts. Among them, the lens tube is an important part that ensures the stable operation of the telescope. The lens tube of catadioptric telescope is usually made of aluminum alloy, which is usually light. Generally, the lens tube of this kind of telescope is more than half lighter than other telescopes with the same aperture. However, there is no shading ring in the tube. In order to improve the imaging contrast, we can paste fluffy paper on the inner wall of the tube to eliminate the internal reflection.

Optical components are contained in the lens tube. Their surfaces get in touch with that of lens tube. In order to reduce the friction loss between surfaces during the rotation, we can use some materials to lubricate the lens tube. And WS₂ may be a good choice. It has good lubricating performance and excellent substrate adhesion. When it is applied in the lens tube, the friction and energy loss are greatly reduced.

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