Wear Reduction in Ceramic Bearings by Surface Generated Pyrolytic Carbon Continuously Replenished by Ethylene Gas
Abstract
Sliding tests with a pin-on-disc tribometer and both sliding and rolling tests with a modified four-ball tester at bulk temperatures of about 500 deg C and contact pressures of about 2.2 GPa have demonstrated up to 80% reductions of friction and wear with silicon nitride surfaces when a stream of ethylene is directed into the conjunction region. The effects are even more pronounced when the ethylene is prenucleated by a flow over a coil of nichrome wire electrically heated to about 800 deg C and located about 30 cm upstream of the exit nozzle. Steel and Ni-plated steel are lubricated by this method even more efficiently at lower temperatures. Vapor lubrication, Friction, Wear, Bearings Ethylene, Silicon nitride, Tribometer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 13, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA278264
Entities
People
- J. L. Lauer
- L. C. Davis
Organizations
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute