Behavior of thin viscous boundary films in lubricated contacts between micro-textured surfaces

Thin film colorimetric interferometry was used to map changes in film thickness in the vicinity of micro-dents of various depths produced on rubbing surfaces. It has been shown in recent studies that shallow micro-features within concentrated contact can increase mean film thickness by supplying more lubricant to the contact; however, this beneficial effect can also be accompanied by a local film thickness reduction. Nevertheless, these observations were done with mineral base oils that exhibited no boundary films formation. In this study the behavior of micro-textured surfaces are observed using formulated lubricant containing polyalcylmethacrylate (PAMA), viscosity index improver with boundary film forming properties. Obtained results show that an enlarged film thickness due to the presence of viscous boundary films is formed within the whole contact and these boundary films minimize the local film thickness reduction caused by micro-dents and further increase the efficiency of surface texturing within non-conformal contacts. It can be suggested from the obtained results that joint action of both boundary film formation and surface texturing combines both contributions that can help to increase tribological performances in different stages of machine parts operation by increasing lubrication film thickness.     

The influence of thin boundary films on real surface roughness in thin film, mixed EHD contact

The behaviour of thin viscous boundary films in the rough surface rolling–sliding point contact operated under thin film lubrication conditions have been observed by thin film colorimetric interferometry. Changes in film thickness distribution within the lubricated contact between steel ball and glass disc were studies with both mineral base oil and mineral oil formulated with non-functionalized polyalkylmethacrylate (PAMA). Recent studies by other researchers showed that this polymer-containing viscosity index improver exhibits some friction-reducing capabilities even though it forms only very thin boundary films on rubbing surfaces. Results obtained in the current study proved that thin viscous boundary films formed on rubbing surfaces can reduce asperities interactions of rubbing surfaces under very thin film conditions. Even though these boundary films do not separate rubbing surfaces completely, they still can provide some protection of contacting bodies against excessive friction and wear.     

Thin lubricating films behaviour at very high contact pressure

Thin film colorimetric interferometry has been used to examine the behaviour of thin elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubricant films under very high contact pressures of the order of 0.5–3 GPa. It has been shown that at moderate pressures, the variation of film thickness with speed follows the Hamrock and Dowson prediction down to one nanometer. As the load is increased, however, thin films behave differently from the prediction of the conventional EHD theory. For a certain lubricant and operational conditions, there is a critical rolling speed below which a reduction of film thickness is observed. This behaviour is very similar to that previously predicted computationally by Zhu.     

The investigation of contact ratio in mixed lubrication

In order to describe the mixed lubrication in nano-scale which is constituted from dry friction, boundary lubrication, and thin film lubrication, a contact ratio between surfaces of a glass disk and a steel ball in a pure rolling process has been measured by the technique of Relative Optical Interference Intensity (ROII) with a resolution of 0.5 nm in the vertical direction and 1 μm in the horizontal direction. The relationships between the contact ratio and its influence factors have been investigated. Experimental results indicate that the contact ratio in the static state is related to the combined surface roughness, maximum Hertz pressure, and the combined elastic module of tribo-pair in an exponential function. The decrease of rolling speed or lubricant viscosity, and the increase of the pressure will enhance the dynamic contact ratio which is the contact ratio measured in the rolling process. The addition of polar additives into basic oil will reduce the contact ratio. The contact ratio between rough surfaces is larger than that between smooth surfaces in the higher speed region. However, the former becomes smaller than the later after speed decreases below a critical value. A formula for calculating the dynamic contact ratio is given in the end of the paper.     

Determination of load carrying ability of chemical films developed in sliding point contact

It has already been known for many years that the use of some extreme-pressure (EP), antiwear or friction modifier (FM) additives in mineral oils can produce different kind of boundary or chemical reaction films on sliding contact surfaces of some kinds of steel in boundary lubrication conditions. Using a sliding ball-on-disc configuration lubricated with some kinds of EP or FM, the wear scars on the balls can always reach the same limit size at a specified applied load and sliding velocity. From the fact that the limit sizes of wear scars decrease as sliding speed is increased or applied load is decreased, the load carrying ability of a chemical film can be obtained by extrapolating the data to the condition of zero sliding speed and is so defined that if the contact pressure is greater than this load carrying ability, the contact surfaces will continuously be worn; if the contact pressure is smaller than it, no more wear will occur on the surfaces. Based on this load carrying ability, the hydrodynamic effect of sliding pairs can also be identified. Therefore, the limit size of wear scar at specified sliding speed and applied load can also be predicted in a mixed lubrication condition.     

Lubricant film formation properties of alkyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate ionic liquids

The film thickness and friction properties of four imidazolium ionic liquids (1-butyl-3-methyl tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate and 1-hexyl-3-methyl tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate) were measured for mixed rolling-sliding conditions and the results compared to an additised mineral oil. Film thickness results showed that three of the fluids demonstrated classical EHL behaviour; however, the 1-butyl-3-methyl fluids gave anomalously thick, time-dependent films at low speeds (<0.3 m/s). Post-test inspection of the specimens revealed a loosely bound brown film deposited in the track. Film formation appeared to originate in the bulk fluid where brown “fibrous” agglomerations were observed. These were flocculated by shear flow and deposited in the track after passing through the contact. Overall the RTIL friction coefficients were less than the mineral oil for all conditions investigated. In the absence of thick film formation all RTILs gave a similar friction coefficient of 0.03 in the boundary regime, which is thought to be due to electrical double layer formation. In the fluid film regime traction was determined by the nature of the anion.     

高密磁记录系统的动力学分析

讨论多聚酯流体润滑的IBM3370磁头/磁盘系统,以期提高磁记录密度。润滑模型中考虑超薄流体润滑的剪薄效应,并用有限差分法对润滑方程进行求解,应用摄动理论建立IBM3370磁头/磁盘系统的动力学模型,分别对气体润滑和液体润滑的2自由度磁头的动力响应进行仿真。仿真结果表明,液膜润滑的磁头飞浮高度在20nm时,磁头仍能保持较好的稳定性。     

The effect of surface texturing on thin EHD lubrication films

Surface texturing has been successfully used for conformal contacts in many tribological applications in an effort to diminish friction and wear. However, the use of such a surface modifications are still in nascent as far as highly loaded contacts between non-conformal surfaces are concerned. It is mainly caused by the fact that the presence of such micro-features within these contacts can significantly influence the pressure distribution within the contact. Nevertheless, it has been shown in recent studies that the surface texturing can also have beneficial tribological effects if the depth of micro-features is properly designed. This paper is devoted to the experimental study of the effect of the micro-dents of various depths on thin lubrication films to find an experimental evidence of the micro-feature depth threshold for surface texturing applications in highly loaded non-conformal surfaces. The behaviour of an array of micro-dents within thin EHD contacts has been studied by thin film colorimetric interferometry. The influence of surface texturing on lubricant film formation has been observed under sliding/rolling conditions. The significant effect of micro-dents depth on lubricant film thickness is observed for positive slide-to-roll ratio when the disc is moving faster than the micro-textured ball. The presence of deep micro-dents within lubricated contact results in film thickness reduction downstream. As the depth of micro-dents is reduced, this effect diminishes and beneficial effect of micro-dents on film thickness formation has been observed. No significant influence of micro-dents depth on lubricant film shape has been observed in case of negative slide-to-roll conditions when micro-dents do not cause film thickness reduction regardless of their depths.     

In Situ Quantification of Oil Film Formation and Breakdown in EHD Contacts

Abstract

A measurement method using electrical impedance has been developed for simultaneous quantifications of the thickness (h) and breakdown ratio (α) of oil films in elastohydrodynamic (EHD) contacts. First, based on simplified geometrical and electrical models of EHD contacts, theoretical expressions of h and α were derived as explicit functions of the measured electrical impedance by using the Lambert function. Then, to verify the proposed measurement principle, oil film thickness measurements were conducted by using the electrical method together with the optical interferometry method in a ball-on-disc-type apparatus, which utilized the lubricated contact between a steel ball and a glass disc with a transparent conductive layer (i.e., an indium tin oxide layer). As a result, it was confirmed that the measured h-values obtained by the electrical method agreed well with those obtained by the optical method, under various test conditions with changing the entrainment speed, slide-to-roll ratio, normal load, and viscosity. Besides, it was also confirmed that the measured α-values obtained by the electrical method showed consistent correlations with the film parameter and the friction coefficient. It is hoped that the developed electrical method will be applied to practical metal-to-metal contacts (e.g., the contacts in practical ball bearings) to understand invisible behaviors of oil films in EHD contacts.     

纳米薄膜的制备技术及其膜厚表征方法进展

纳米薄膜材料是一种新型材料,由于其特殊的结构特点,使其作为功能材料和结构材料都具有良好的发展前景。本文综述当前纳米薄膜的制备技术,并针对这些成膜工艺,概括表征纳米薄膜厚度的常用方法。     

Creep and separation of oil films in reciprocating motion

As a fundamental investigation of gas/liquid two-phase lubrication under reciprocating conditions, the behaviour of oil films between a reciprocating plate and a stationary optical flat was observed. It was found that under reciprocating conditions the dynamic behaviour of oil films with free boundaries was influenced by complicated interfacial phenomena, showing creep, notching and separation of their contours. Analysis of the results clarified the influencing factors and the inherent conditions in the characteristics types of film contours     

Effects of surface forces on pure squeeze thin film EHL motion of circular contacts

The pure squeeze thin film elastohydrodynamic lubrication (thin film EHL) motion of circular contacts with effects of surface forces taken into account is explored under constant load conditions. The difference between thin film EHL model and EHL model is apparent as the film thickness is thinner than 5 nm. The oscillation phenomena in pressure and film thickness come mainly from the action of solvation forces. The effects of surface forces become significant as the film thickness becomes thinner. Moreover, the viscosity is oscillatory due to its dependency on the hydrodynamic pressure which is affected by surface forces.     

流体吸附层厚度及位能界面的划分

根据流体吸附性能及流体粒子在固体表面的分布规律,应用能量的观点可以得出流体位能的分布规律,由此可知液体的性能,在薄膜润滑条件下表面作用尤其重要。应用能量的观点把液体的分布密度忽略,将使公式计算简化。     

Modeling and analysis of interfacial electro-kinetic effects on thin film lubrication

At the interface between a solid and a following liquid, charge migration within the electric double layer causes an electro-viscous force to develop which manifests itself as an enhanced fluid viscosity. Based on the Poisson–Boltzmann equation, a new mathematical model of the electro-viscosity is developed. Numerical analysis is carried out taking into account the influence of the electric double layer on thin film lubrication. Analysis results show that the electro-viscosity leads to a significant increase in the film thickness in the thin film regime (below 100 nm).     

Effects of surrounding atmosphere on the formation of carbon films at 450°C

The object of the present work is to present the results of research into the effects of surrounding atmosphere on the formation of carbon films by lubricating oil cracking at 450°C. The following six kinds of surrounding atmospheres were used: O₂(5%), O₂(95%), O₂(70%), O₂(50%), O₂(20%) (with the remainders N) and air. Cr₂O₃ and Mo alloy coatings were selected as friction pair materials and a synthetic ester oil as lubricant. The experimental results on a SRV test machine showed that solid carbon films could be generated only in the atmosphere with a certain O₂ content. No valid carbon films were generated in surrounding atmospheres rich in nitrogen and oxygen. Surface analyses with SEM, WDS, XPS and X-ray diffraction indicated that graphite films with excellent solid lubricating effect resulted from the catalytic cracking of the hydrocarbon components in the lubricating oil at high temperature in the air atmosphere after the failure of fluid lubrication.     

Influence of ionic strength on the tribological properties of pre-adsorbed salivary films

We have studied tribological properties of pre-adsorbed salivary films formed in vitro on compliant hydrophobic surfaces. The adsorbed salivary film significantly decreases boundary friction under physiological ionic strength, which is related to a hydrophilic character of the adsorbed film and its structure. Decrease in the ionic strength below physiological conditions affects film’s structure, but it does not significantly affect boundary lubrication at low loads. Applications of high loads led to a gradual loss of lubrication due to shear-induced wear of the films. The wear became more extensive as the ionic strength of the solvent was lowered below physiological conditions.     

Research on thin film lubrication: state of the art

Thin film lubrication (TFL) has been well studied as a new lubrication regime since 1990s. TFL is a transition lubrication regime between elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) and boundary lubrication (BL), which has specific lubrication features. Present paper summarizes the advancements of researches on TFL, which involves the origin of the TFL concept, advancement of measuring techniques, TFL film-forming features, investigation on its mechanism, and computation theories.     

Mechanisms of oiliness additives

Ultrathin film interferometry has been used to measure the boundary film-forming behaviour of long chain, carboxylic acid oiliness additives. It has been shown that in dry conditions, these acids form very thin films of around 2–3 nm thickness. However when water is present, some acids form significantly thicker films, around 10 nm in thickness. The behaviour of these films is very similar to that previously seen with metal carboxylate additive films, including thick film collapse at high rolling speeds followed by film reformation at slow speeds. It is suggested thick films formed by long chain carboxylic acid additives result from reaction of the acids at the rolling solid surfaces in the presence of water to form deposits of insoluble iron carboxylate.     

Thermal response of AlN and CNx films as coatings of thin film anemometers

Layers of AlN and CNx were investigated as suitable films to coat thin film anemometers because they are simultaneously electrical isolators and thermal conductors. Thermal time constants were measured and thermal equivalent models are proposed in this work. AlN performed better in the experiments.     

指数型粘度修正模型的提出及实用分析

根据吸附理论和分子间能量的变化规律来确定表面相互作用程度 ,以此可定义吸附层 ,得出吸附层厚度的分析计算公式。根据分子相互作用的基本理论及流体力学的基本定义得出指数型粘度修正的表达式 ,用于确定微小间隙内流体粘度的变化规律 ,用此修正模型对薄膜润滑条件下轴承的性能计算 ,同时与实验比较 ,得到比较吻合的效果