Lubricants, Volume 9, Issue 3 (March 2021) – 12 articles

The extreme pressure (EP) behavior of grease is related to its additives that can prevent seizure. However, in this study following ASTM D2596 four-ball test method, the EP behavior of greases was modified without any changes to its additive package. A four-ball tester with position encoders and variable frequency drive system was used to control the speed ramp up time or delay in motor speed to demonstrate higher grease weld load and lower grease friction that were fictitious. A tenth of a second delay in speed ramp up time had showed an increase in the weld load from 7848 N to 9810 N for grease X and 6082 N to 9810 N for grease Y. Further increase in the speed ramp up time to 0.95 s showed that the greases passed the maximum load of 9810 N that was possible in the four-ball tester without seizure. The mechanism can be related to the delay in rise of local temperature to reach the melting point of steel required for full seizure or welding, that was theoretically attributed to an increase in heat loss as the speed ramp-up time was increased. Furthermore, the speed ramp up time increased the corrected load for grease X and Y. This resulted in lower friction for grease X and Y. This fictitious low friction can be attributed to decrease in surface roughness at higher extreme pressure or higher corrected load. This study suggests that speed ramp up time is a critical factor that should be further investigated by ASTM and grease manufacturers, to prevent the use of grease with fictitious EP behavior. Full article

In this work, we report on the most recent progress in studying temperature influence on tackiness of greases, as well as the reproducibility of the method. Tackiness and adhesion of greases have been identified as key intrinsic properties that can influence their functionality and performance. During the last eight years, a reliable method to quantify the tackiness and adhesion of greases has evolved from an experimental lab-scale set-up towards a standardised approach, including an ASTM method and a dedicated test tool. The performance of lubricating greases—extensively used in diverse industrial applications—is strongly dependent on their adherence to the substrate, cohesion and thread formation or tackiness of the greases. This issue attracts more and more industrial interest as the complexity in grease formulation evolves and it is harder to differentiate between available greases. With this method, grease formulators will have an efficient measurement tool to support their work. Full article

Hydrophobic surfaces can allow a liquid to slip over the surface and can thus reduce friction in lubricated contact working in a full film regime. Theory supports that the amount of slip can be increased if super-hydrophobic surfaces that are composed of a textured low surface energy material are used. In this work, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) polymer samples were textured with a femto second laser to create super-hydrophobic surfaces by machining a hexagonal network of small circular holes with 10 and 20 μm lattice sides. The frictional behavior of these surfaces was compared to the smooth PTFE samples. Surprisingly, the textured surfaces revealed higher friction coefficients than the smooth surfaces. This higher friction can be explained by a change of wetting regime due to high pressure in fluid and a possible generation of vortices in the cavities. Full article

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings have proven to be an excellent thin film solution for reducing friction of tribological systems as well as providing resistance to wear. These characteristics yield greater efficiency and longer lifetimes of tribological contacts with respect to surface solutions targeting for example automotive applications. However, the route from discovery to deployment of DLC films has taken its time and still the design of these solutions is largely done on a trial-and-error basis. This results in challenges both in designing and optimizing DLC films for specific applications and limits the understanding, and subsequently exploitation, of many of the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for its favorable frictional response and high resistance to various types of wear. In current work multiscale modeling is utilized to study the friction and wear response of DLC thin films in dry and lubricated contacts. Atomic scale mechanisms responsible for friction due to interactions between the sliding surfaces and shearing of the amorphous carbon surface are utilized to establish frictional response for microstructure scale modeling of DLC to DLC surface contacts under dry and graphene lubricated conditions. Then at the coarser microstructural scale both structure of the multilayer, substrate and surface topography of the DLC coating are incorporated in studying of the behavior of the tribosystem. A fracture model is included to evaluate the nucleation and growth of wear damage leading either to loss of adhesion or failure of one of the film constituents. The results demonstrate the dependency of atomistic scale friction on film characteristics, particularly hybridization of bonding and tribochemistry. The microstructure scale modeling signifies the behavior of the film as a tribosystem, the various material properties and the surface topography interact to produce the explicitly modeled failure response. Ultimately, the work contributes towards establishing multiscale modeling capabilities to better understand and design novel DLC material solutions for various tribological applications. Full article

Correlation of sharp indentation problems is examined theoretically and numerically. The analysis focuses on elastic-plastic pressure-sensitive materials and especially the case when the local plastic zone is so large that elastic effects on the mean contact pressure will be small or negligible as is the case for engineering metals and alloys. The results from the theoretical analysis indicate that the effect from pressure-sensitivity and plastic strain-hardening are separable at correlation of hardness values. This is confirmed using finite element methods and closed-form formulas are presented representing a pressure-sensitive counterpart to the Tabor formula at von Mises plasticity. The situation for the relative contact area is more complicated as also discussed. Full article

Although many functional characteristics, such as fatigue life and damage resistance depend on residual stresses, there are currently no industrially viable ‘Digital Process Twin’ models (DPTs) capable of efficiently and quickly predicting machining-induced stresses. By leveraging advances in ultra-high-speed in-situ experimental characterization of machining and finishing processes under plane strain (orthogonal/2D) conditions, we have developed a set of physics-based semi-analytical models to predict residual stress evolution in light of the extreme gradients of stress, strain and temperature, which are unique to these thermo-mechanical processes. Initial validation trials of this novel paradigm were carried out in Ti-6Al4V and AISI 4340 alloy steel. A variety dry, cryogenically cooled and oil lubricated conditions were evaluated to determine the model’s ability to capture the tribological changes induced due to lubrication and cooling. The preliminarily calibrated and validated model exhibited an average correlation of better than 20% between the predicted stresses and experimental data, with calculation times of less than a second. Based on such fast-acting DPTs, the authors envision future capabilities in pro-active surface engineering of advanced structural components (e.g., turbine blades). Full article

In the present investigation, in-situ epoxidation of waste cooking oil and its methyl esters was prepared, and the rheological behavior was analyzed for biolubricant applications. Rheological properties of the prepared epoxides were measured at a temperature of 25–100 °C, at a shear rate ranging from 5 to 300 s⁻¹. As viscosity is one of the critical parameters for potential biolubricant applications, in the present study, the power-law model was used to investigate the flow behavior of the epoxides. The viscosity of epoxidized waste cooking oil and its methyl ester epoxides showed Newtonian flow behavior in the studied temperature range. Different shear rates (5–100, 5–300, 100–300 s⁻¹) were studied to determine the shear rate dependency of the epoxidized waste cooking oil and its methyl ester epoxides at different temperatures. From the average viscosity values, it was shown that the epoxides show identical results at all shear rates. The dynamic viscosities of the epoxidized waste cooking oil and its methyl ester epoxides were found to be dependent on fatty acid chain length, unsaturation, and temperature. Detailed physicochemical characterization for epoxide waste cooking oil (EWCO) and epoxide waste cooking oil methyl esters (EWCOME) were carried out to evaluate the properties for suitable biolubricant applications using standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) methods. Based on the viscosity for EWCO (278.9 mm²/s) and EWCOME (12.15 mm²/s) and viscosity index for EWCO (164.94) and EWCOME (151.97) of the prepared epoxides, they could complement the standard ISO vegetable grade (VG) lubricants in the market. Full article

In tilting-pad journal bearings (TPJB) with a non-flooded lubrication concept, higher maximum pad temperatures occur than with a flooded bearing design due to the lower convective heat transfer at the pad edges. In this paper, we present an approach to influence the thermal behavior of a five-pad TPJB by active cooling. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of additional oil supply grooves at the trailing edge of the two loaded pads on the maximum pad temperature of a large TPJB in non-flooded design. We carry out experimental and numerical investigations for a redesigned test bearing. Within the experimental analysis, the reduction in pad temperature is quantified. A simulation model of the bearing is synthesized with respect to the additional oil supply grooves. The simulation results are compared with the experimental data to derive heat transfer coefficients for the pad surfaces. The experimental results indicate a considerable reduction of the maximum pad temperatures. An overall lower temperature level is observed for the rear pad in circumferential direction (pad 4). The authors attribute this effect by a cooling oil carry-over from the previous pad (3). Within the model limits, a good agreement of the simulation and experimental results can be found. Full article

Internal combustion engines are widely implemented in several applications; however, they still face significant challenges due to the sealing capacity of the compression rings. Gas leakage through the crankcase, also known as blow-by, directly impacts power losses, overall efficiency, and global emissions. Therefore, the present study investigates the influence of parameters such as the ring gap, ring masses, and twist angle of the compression rings on the sealing capacity of the combustion chamber. A mathematical model is proposed to account for geometric, dynamic, and operational characteristics in a single-cylinder diesel engine. The results indicated that the greatest gas losses to the crankcase occur during the compression and combustion stages as a consequence of extreme pressure conditions. Specifically, at least 0.5% of the gases locked in the combustion chamber are released on each cycle, while increasing the mass of the compression rings boosts the gas leakage due to higher inertial forces in the rings. In contrast, a positive twist angle of the compression rings reduced the combustion gases leakage by $7.33\times {10}^{-5}\mathrm{g}/\mathrm{cycle}$. Additionally, a combined reduction in the gap of both compression rings minimized the leakage flows by 37%. In conclusion, the proposed model served as a robust tool to evaluate different parameters on the sealing capacity of the combustion chamber that contribute to minimizing global emissions. Secondary piston motion and ring distortion represent significant opportunities in future studies. Full article

In most gear drive applications mineral or synthetic oils are used as lubricants, which are made of fossil raw materials and are non-biodegradable. In applications located in critical environmental areas such as boats or harbors, eco-friendly lubricants are needed. As a result, a gear transmission fluid based on water is currently being developed in a research project supported by the Bayrische Forschungsstiftung (Bavarian Research Foundation). Results of former research showed that in general it is possible to use water-based lubricants in gear drives under certain operating conditions. Since water has a low viscosity compared to conventional used lubricants, plant extracts are added to generate higher viscosities. In order to avoid tribological influenced damages such as sliding wear and scuffing on the surface of gear flanks, adequate additives are needed. Different combinations of plant extracts and additives were investigated using the scuffing test A/8.3/RT according to DIN ISO 14635-1. The results show a surprisingly high load carrying capacity regarding scuffing. Additionally, two wear tests based on DGMK 377-01 were conducted with one sample fluid. A high risk of sliding wear was detected. Additionally, MTM and SRV measurements were conducted with different polymers to optimize the lubricant. The results of the wear tests help to define operating conditions for a future lubricant based on water and plant extracts. This paper aims to share the results of the performed experimental investigations and discusses the challenges regarding the development of such new lubricants. Full article

Erosion of tidal turbine blades in the marine environment is a major material challenge due to the high thrust and torsional loading at the rotating surfaces, which limits the ability to harness energy from tidal sources. Polymer–matrix composites can exhibit leading-blade edge erosion due to marine flows containing salt and solid particles of sand. Anti-erosion coatings can be used for more ductility at the blade surface, but the discontinuity between the coating and the stiffer composite can be a site of failure. Therefore, it is desirable to have a polymer matrix with a gradient of toughness, with a tougher, more ductile polymer matrix at the blade surface, transitioning gradually to the high stiffness matrix needed to provide high composite mechanical properties. In this study, multiple powder epoxy systems were investigated, and two were selected to manufacture unidirectional glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (UD-GFRP) plates with different epoxy ratios at the surface and interior plies, leading to a toughening gradient within the plate. The gradient plates were then mechanically compared to their standard counterparts. Solid particle erosion testing was carried out at various test conditions and parameters on UD-GFRP specimens in a slurry environment. The experiments performed were based on a model of the UK marine environment for a typical tidal energy farm with respect to the concentration of saltwater and the size of solid particle erodent. The morphologies of the surfaces were examined by SEM. Erosion maps were generated based on the result showing significant differences for materials of different stiffness in such conditions. Full article