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The purpose of this study is to investigate lubricant film-forming capability of oil-impregnated sintered material in highly loaded non-conformal contacts. This self-lubrication mechanism is well described in lightly loaded conformal contacts such as journal bearings; however, only a little has been published about the application to highly loaded contacts under elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime (EHL).

Thin film colorimetric interferometry is used to describe the effect of different operating conditions on lubricant film formation in line contacts.

Under fully flooded conditions, the effect of porous structure can be mainly traced back to the different elastic properties. When the contact is lubricated only by oil bleeding from the oil-impregnated sintered material, starvation is likely to occur. It is indicated that lubricant film thickness is mainly governed by oil bleeding capacity. The relationship between oil starvation parameters corresponds well with classic starved EHL theory.

To show practical, relevant limitations of the considered self-lubrication system, time tests were conducted. The findings indicate that EHL contact with oil-impregnated sintered material may provide about 40 per cent of fully flooded film thickness.

For the first time, the paper presents results on the EHL film-forming capability of oil-impregnated sintered material by measuring the lubricant film thickness directly. The present paper identifies the phenomena involved, which is necessary for the understanding of the behavior of this complex tribological system.

This paper aims to obtain high mechanical and good tribological properties of epoxy resin-based coatings under dry friction conditions.

Bonded solid lubricant coatings containing Kevlar fibres were prepared by a spraying method. The friction and wear properties of the coatings were experimentally investigated with a face-to-face tribometre under dry friction conditions. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and 3D laser scanning technologies were used to characterise the tribological properties. The action mechanism of the Kevlar fibres on a solid lubricant transfer film was also analysed.

Adding Kevlar fibres can significantly improve the wear resistance of the coatings. When the Kevlar fibre content increases, the tribological properties of the coatings improve and then worsen. Superior properties are obtained with 0.03 g of Kevlar fibres. Appropriately increasing the load or speed is beneficial to the removal of the outer epoxy resin and the formation of a lubricant film. During friction, the solid lubricants wrapped in the epoxy resin accumulate on the surface to form a transfer film that shows a good self-lubricating performance. In the later friction stage, fatigue cracks occur on the solid lubricant film but cannot connect to one another because of the high wear resistance and the entanglement of the rod-like Kevlar fibres. Thus, no large-area film falls from the matrix, thereby ensuring the long-term functioning of solid lubricant coatings.

Epoxy resin-based solid lubricant coatings modified by Kevlar fibres were prepared, and their friction and wear properties were investigated. Their tribological mechanisms were also proposed. This work provided a basis for the analysis of the tribological properties and design of bonded solid lubricant coatings containing Kevlar fibres.

This paper aims to develop a Mini-Tribometer for in-situ observation of subsurface.

To observe the change of the microstructure during wear in real time, an in-situ observation mini-tribometer was developed according to the requirements of the basic frictional experiments and carried out the verification experiments.

The subsurface images and the tribological data obtained from the mini-tribometer clearly show that the graphite in the matrix moves to the surface and takes part in lubrication mainly in the form of extrusion and peeling off, and the migration of graphite in the copper-based composite to the frictional interface to act as lubricant and to result in the decrease of the friction coefficient. The experimental results of the developed tribometer are accurate, which can provide important references for further research on the wear mechanism of materials.

The developed in-situ observation mini-tribometer can be used to observe the dynamic wear mechanism of the frictional pairs, which is very important for optimization of material design and tribological performances.

The purpose of this paper is to study the tribological behavior of hardened, boronized and boro‐chromized AISI 52100 steel balls against boro‐chromized AISI 1040 steel disk under 2, 5 and 10 N loads at 0.1 and 0.3 m/s sliding speeds.

Boronizing treatment was realized at 1,000°C for 2 h in a slurry salt bath consisting of borax, boric acid and ferro‐silicon. Some of the boronized steels were chromized at 1,000°C for 2 h by pack method in the powder mixture consisting of ferro‐chromium, ammonium chloride and alumina. Similarly, AISI 1040 steel disk was boronized at 900°C for 4 h in the same bath and then chromized by pack method. Friction and wear tests were carried out using a ball‐on‐disk machine.

The results showed that the specific wear rate of hardened and boronized AISI 52100 steel balls decreased with increasing load and decreasing sliding speed. Untreated AISI 52100 steel balls showed much greater specific wear rate than the boronized and boro‐chromized AISI 52100 steel balls. Boronized steel balls exhibited the highest wear resistance. The specific wear rates of hardened, boronized and borochromized steel balls were between 9.6422 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.6714 × 10⁻⁴, 4.4079 × 10⁻⁶ and 3.2829 × 10⁻⁵, and 1.0135 × 10⁻⁵ and 3.0559 × 10⁻⁵ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹, respectively. The lowest coefficient of friction was recorded on a boro‐chromized steel disk, tested against boronized steel ball at 0.3 m/s sliding speed and under low‐load value.

Tests have been made on the basis of atmospheric conditions. The study can be detailed using some lubricants on the wear test.

The research has shown that boronizing and boro‐chromizing treatments realized on steels have a good wear resistance in the open atmosphere. Boronizing treatment has been used for tribological applications for a long time. Boro‐chromizing treatment can be applied on steels, successfully.

Tribological properties of boro‐chromized steels are explained in the present study for the first time.

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of dimple textures on the friction and wear properties of tapered roller bearings (TRBs) with many pattern parameters, e.g. diameter, depth and area density under starved lubrication.

The pattern parameters include the dimple diameter (D; 60, 100 and 200 µm), dimple depth (H; 5, 10 and 20 µm) and area density (S; 6%, 12% and 24%). Dimples were fabricated on the outer ring (OR) of TRBs using a laser marking machine. The tribological properties of dimple-textured TRBs under starved lubrication were studied on a vertical universal friction wear tester with special friction pairs. The effect mechanisms of dimple textures on the tribological properties of TRBs are presented and summarized through experiments and discussions.

When dimple-textured TRBs revolve under starved lubrication, the average coefficients of friction (ACOF) and wear losses are markedly lower than those of non-textured bearings. S has the greatest influence on the COF curve. When D is 100 µm and S is 24%, the ACOF and wear losses are both lowest, i.e. 0.00426 and 0.51 mg, respectively. Under the same test conditions, compared with the non-textured group, its COF and wear loss decreased by 35.6% and 62.5%, respectively.

This work provides a useful reference for the research on the raceways of textured TRBs.

This paper aims to investigate the tribological performance, i.e. abrasion resistance, friction coefficient and wear rates, of self-lubricated water conditioned polyamide6/boric oxide composites.

Polyamide6 and polyamide6/boric oxide self-lubricated composites were immersed in water for 15 days to analyze the effect of water conditioning on friction, wear and abrasion resistance. Tribological testing on pin-on-disc tribometer and abrasion resistance testing on TABER abrader were performed to see the friction coefficient and wear rates of materials. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterizations were performed to analyze the wear tracks.

Tribological testing results revealed the loss in abrasive resistance, but there was an improvement in frictional coefficient and wear rates with steel after water absorption. The SEM images clearly show less depth of wear tracks in water-conditioned materials than dry ones. Water conditioning was found supportive in the formation of smooth lubricating transfer film on steel disc during the tribological testing.

The tribological behaviour of polymer composites is different in dry and in high humidity or water conditions. Experiments were performed to investigate B₂O₃ solid lubricant filler effectiveness on tribological behaviour of water-conditioned polyamide composites. Bonding between polyamide6 and water molecules plus the formation of orthoboric acid was found advantageous in decreasing the friction coefficient and wear rates of composites.

The mechanical and tribological properties of polymers and polymer composites vary with different environmental conditions. This paper aims to review the influence of humidity/water conditions on various polymers and polymer composites' mechanical properties and tribological behaviors.

The influence of humidity and water absorption on mechanical and tribological properties of various polymers, fillers and composites has been discussed in this paper. Tensile strength, modulus, yield strength, impact strength, COF and wear rates of polymer composites are compared for different environmental conditions. The interaction between the water molecules and hydrophobic polymers is also represented.

Pure polymer matrices show somewhat mixed behavior in humid environments. Absorbed moisture generally plasticizes the epoxies and polyamides and lowers the tensile strength, yield strength and modulus. Wear rates of PVC generally decrease in humid environments, while for polyamides, it increases. Fillers like graphite and boron-based compounds exhibit low COF, while MoS2 particulate fillers exhibit higher COF at high humidity and water conditions. The mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced polymer composites tend to decrease as the rate of humidity increases while the wear rates of fiber-reinforced polymer composites show somewhat mixed behavior. Particulate fillers like metals and advanced ceramics reinforced polymer composites exhibit low COF and wear rates as the rate of humidity increases.

The mechanical and tribological properties of polymers and polymer composites vary with the humidity value present in the environment. In dry conditions, wear loss is determined by the hardness of the contacting surfaces, which may not effectively work for high humid environments. The tribological performance of composite constituents, i.e. matrix and fillers in humid environments, defines the overall performance of polymer composite in said environments.

Tribological research is complex and multidisciplinary, with many parameters to consider. As traditional experimentation is time-consuming and expensive due to the complexity of tribological systems, researchers tend to use quantitative and qualitative analysis to monitor critical parameters and material characterization to explain observed dependencies. In this regard, numerical modeling and simulation offers a cost-effective alternative to physical experimentation but must be validated with limited testing. This paper aims to highlight advances in numerical modeling as they relate to the field of tribology.

This study performed an in-depth literature review for the field of modeling and simulation as it relates to tribology. The authors initially looked at the application of foundational studies (e.g. Stribeck) to understand the gaps in the current knowledge set. The authors then evaluated a number of modern developments related to contact mechanics, surface roughness, tribofilm formation and fluid-film layers. In particular, it looked at key fields driving tribology models including nanoparticle research and prosthetics. The study then sought out to understand the future trends in this research field.

The field of tribology, numerical modeling has shown to be a powerful tool, which is both time- and cost-effective when compared to standard bench testing. The characterization of tribological systems of interest fundamentally stems from the lubrication regimes designated in the Stribeck curve. The prediction of tribofilm formation, film thickness variation, fluid properties, asperity contact and surface deformation as well as the continuously changing interactions between such parameters is an essential challenge for proper modeling.

This paper highlights the major numerical modeling achievements in various disciplines and discusses their efficacy, assumptions and limitations in tribology research.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2023-0076/

This study aims to prevent the sharp decline in the load-carrying capacity of lubricating oil film under harsh conditions of abrupt changes in friction interface temperature, which is a major challenge in lubrication technology.

In this paper, we synthesized a series of silver pyrazole methylpyridine complexes containing a high metal concentration and minimal supporting organic ligands (complex 1 [Ag(LMe)]₂(BF₄)₂, complex 2 [Ag(Li-Pr)n](BF4)n and complex 3 [Ag(LMe)(NO₃)]₂). The thermal decompose behavior of as-prepared silver complex was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS). Four-ball friction testers were used to evaluate the friction and wear properties of lubricating oil in the temperature ranges associated with the operation of modern heavy machinery.

The complex decomposed silver particles at high-temperature, which could fill the pits on the friction surface, change the wear form of the friction pair and reduce the roughness of the friction surface. Reduction in both friction coefficients and wear scar diameters was obtained by adding silver complexes in oil. The lubricating oil, with the additive content of 1.5 Wt.%, has the best tribological performance, moreover, the lubricating performance of the silver complexes in oil were correlated with their concentration and thermal decomposed temperatures, respectively.

As a result, a series of silver pyrazole methylpyridine complexes as oil additives can support friction and wear reduction under abrupt high-temperature conditions are intended to be a controllable backup lubricant additive.

This paper aims to obtain high mechanical strength and good self-lubricating property of iron-based powder metallurgy materials. A new type of bilayer material with dense substrate and porous surface was proposed in this paper to obtain high strength and good self-lubricating property.

The materials were prepared by powder metallurgy. Their friction and wear properties were investigated with an end-face tribo-tester. Energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray diffraction and the 3D laser scanning technologies were used to characterise the tribological properties of materials. The tribological and bearing mechanisms of the monolayer and bilayer materials were compared.

The results show that adding proper TiH₂ can effectively improve the porosity and hardness. With the TiH₂ content increased from 0 to 4 per cent, the average friction coefficients increase slowly, and the wearability decreases first and then increases. When containing 3.5 per cent TiH₂, high strength and good self-lubrication characteristics are obtained. Besides, the tribological properties of monolayer materials are better than those of bilayer materials when the load is between 980 and 1,470 N, while the opposite result is obtained under the load varied from 1,470 to 2,450 N. In the bilayer material, the porous oil surface can lubricate well and the dense substrate can improve the mechanical property. So, its comprehensive tribological and mechanical properties are better than those of monolayer material.

The friction and wear properties of a new type bilayer materials were investigated. And their tribological mechanisms were proposed. This work can provide a theoretical reference for developing high-performance iron-based oil materials under boundary lubrication.