Search results

The paper aims to investigate the possibilities to control friction in lubricated systems by surface patterning, making use of a multi-scale approach. Surface patterns inside the tribological contact zone tend to directly reduce friction, whereas surface patterns located in the close proximity of the contact area can improve the tribological performance by avoiding lubricant starvation and migration. Finally, optimized surface patterns were identified by preliminary laboratory tests and transferred to a journal bearing, thus testing them under more realistic conditions.

Surface patterns on a large scale (depth > 10 µm) were fabricated by micro- and roller-coining, whereas surface patterns on a small scale (depth < 2 µm) were produced by direct laser interference patterning. The combination of both techniques resulted in multi-scale surface patterns. Tribologically beneficial surface patterns (verified in ball-on-disk laboratory tests) were transferred onto a journal bearing’s shaft and tested on a special test-rig. To characterize the lubricant spreading behavior, a new test-rig was designed, which allowed for the study of the lubricant’s motion on patterned surfaces under the influence of a precisely controlled temperature gradient.

All tested patterns accounted for a pronounced friction reduction and/or an increase in oil film lifetime. The results from the preliminary laboratory tests matched well, with results from the journal bearing test-rig, both tests showing a maximum friction reduction by a factor of 3-4. Numerical investigations, as well as experiments, have shown the possibility to actively guide lubricant over patterned surfaces. Smaller periodicities, as well as greater structural depths and widths, led to a more pronounced anisotropic spreading and/or greater spreading velocities. Multi-scale surfaces demonstrated the strongest effects regarding the lubricant’s spreading behavior.

Friction, as well as lubricant migration, can be successfully controlled by using micro-coined, laser-patterned and/or multi-scale surfaces. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study demonstrates for the first time the unique possibility to transfer results obtained in laboratory tests to a real machine component.

Previous work has suggested that the adhesion between oil and metallic surfaces of an engine could be an important factor in determining crankcase cleanliness. It can be shown that it is only necessary to measure the spreading pressure of an oil on metal in order to get a direct measure of the work of adhesion, Surface tensions of lubrictaing oils vary very little and it can be assumed that the critical film pressure (C.F.P.) obtained with a given apparatus is an acceptable measure of the work of adhesion as well as of the spreading pressure. Oils of similar properties may vary tenfold in their C.F.P's. The addition of additives influences the spreading pressure, the largest increments in C.F.P. being given by dispersant and detergent additives.

The subject of Horological Lubricants is one which has received very little attention in Lubrication literature. The erroneous tendency to consider that only machinery operating in very high temperatures under difficult conditions of pressure, loading or atmosphere, requires specialist lubrication care, is undoubtedly the reason for this. But the correct functioning of essential time pieces, as well as all small scientific instru‐ments, can be as vital as that of a large machine. The author had been interested in these matters for a number of years when Chief Chemist and Technical Director of Rocol Limited, in whose laboratories many of the advances described in this paper were first evolved and who have given permission for this paper to be published. This paper summarises much of the work carried out on Horological Lubricants over the past twenty‐five years.

This paper aims to study the synergistic lubrication effects of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ to improve the tribological properties of M50 bearing steel with microporous channels.

M50 matrix self-lubricating composites (MMSC) were designed and prepared by filling Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ in the microporous channels of M50 bearing steel. The tribology performance testing of as-prepared samples was executed with a multifunction tribometer. The optimum hole size and lubricant content, as well as self-lubricating mechanism of MMSC, were studied.

The tribological properties of MMSC are strongly dependent on the synergistic lubrication effect of MXene–Ti₃C₂ and Sn–Ag–Cu. When the hole size of microchannel is 1 mm and the content of MXene–Ti₃C₂ in mixed lubricant is 4 wt.%, MMSC shows the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate. The Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ are extruded from the microporous channels and spread to the friction interface, and a relatively complete lubricating film is formed at the friction interface. Meanwhile, the synergistic lubrication of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ can improve the stability of the lubricating film, thus the excellent tribological property of MMSC is obtained.

The results help in deep understanding of the synergistic lubrication effects of Sn–Ag–Cu and MXene–Ti₃C₂ on the tribological properties of M50 bearing steel. This work also provides a useful reference for the tribological design of mechanical components by combining surface texture with solid lubrication.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2023-0381/

The following are the main points of interest to our readers from some of the papers presented at the Institute of Petroleum Summer Meeting at Llandudno last month.

TOOTH flank wear shown by waviness happens when the protective surface oxidation is impaired and the yield point of the metals is exceeded under relatively light loads. Seizure points are few, but cover a large area; worn‐off particles are correspondingly large and adhesive wear is severe.

To study the nature of scuffing in boundary lubricated sliding contacts with subsurface plastic deformation, as it occurs in plastic deformation processing.

Low speed oblique plastic impact testing (LOSOPIT) has been conducted on copper specimen with a hard En31 ball in a test rig that has facility to measure the coefficient of friction. Based on the findings of friction coefficient in these experiments, friction power has been estimated and was found to be in the typical range. Scuffing studies were undertaken both by observation of the slid surface of En31 sphere in a ferrographic microscope with camera facility as well as by calculation of the friction power.

The boundary lubricant was found to have profound role in safeguarding the surface from severe deformation and micro‐cracks. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination of the craters produced by LOSOPIT has given evidence that using the boundary lubricant resulted in smooth transfer of shear stress from the sphere to the specimen surface through the boundary lubricant layer. Owing to this, the asperities have been found flattened in a smooth manner instead of metal at the surface being scuffed. A limited amount of reduction was found in the coefficient of friction due to the use of boundary lubricant from that in the dry testing.

The model used to estimate the friction power is predominantly governed by the friction coefficient itself rather than either the normal load or the sliding speed. Friction coefficient itself may be contributed by various mechanisms all of which may not equally contribute to scuffing. Study is underway to carefully glean out those components of friction that exactly result in scuffing, and to use more effective criteria for scuffing.

The knowledge and data developed in the paper give a clear explanation of conditions under which scuffing can take place in sliding contacts operating under boundary regime. The most important applications are metalforming and metal cutting. It is relevant to mechanical engineering machinery in which intense contact pressures are expected.

This paper fills the gap of lack of scuffing studies in plastic deformation processing. All earlier studies focused on elastic conditions prevailing at the contact. Since, industry has been witnessing a need to tackle the severe problems related to formed product quality and certain defects hitherto unexplained, this paper gives a new direction to explain the defects in products from scuffing point of view. In this paper, it has been shown that friction power can be a good criterion to represent scuffing intensity in boundary lubrication.

The author gives a review of developments over the past decade in new compositions and application practices for ball and roller bearing grease.

An area of development vitally important to pace‐maker industries already seeking the solution to lubrication problems likely to stem from tomorrow's technological achievements.

In the first part of this article, in our last issue, DR. BRANCKER discussed the fundamental elements of emulsification, the orientation and wetting theories and their connections with lubrication. In this part he discusses metal cleaning, solid emulsions and atomisation. The theories discussed are of primary importance in connection with spraying metal surfaces for corrosion inhibition or for lubrication. The theories of atomisation are also important in connection with lubrication by aerosols.