Structure of Solids Surfaces in Wear Situations.
Abstract
Identification and understanding of the surface phenomena involved in lubrication and wear are necessary if failures are to be avoided or at least mitigated. Failure of lubrication and high wear rates can be very costly to both civilian and military machinery. While many new methods of surface analysis have been developed in recent years, their requirements of ultrahigh vacuum and of electron bombardment make these methods destructive. Furthermore they mostly furnish only element analysis and then their spatial resolution is not high. A realistic system was selected for these wear studies; an operating bearing contact consisting of a loaded M-50 bearing steel ball-on-plate mock-bearing and lubricants simulating MIL 23699 and its additives, i.e. a most common heavily loading bearing system. Significant changes were found (1) in the changes of the surface profile within the wear track over the course of bearing operation for different lubricants, (2) in the rate of oxidation of the steel bearing surface within and without the wear track, (3) in the rate of the change of optical profile within and without the wear track after a brief exposure to dilute hydrochloric acid, and (4) in the friction for different lubricants. Common surface additives in lubricants, such as tricresylphosphate (antiwear) and benzotriazole (anticorrosion), produced larger profile changes then other common lube additives. Invariably these changes could be associated with the more rapid formation of surface oxides within than without the wear track.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 17, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA148480
Entities
People
- J. L. Lauer
Organizations
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute