Explore the vast range of titles available.

While it is well known that during RCF tests the formation of nascent catalytic sites on the wear track can break down hydrocarbon molecules to release atomic hydrogen, the potential of the hydrogen environment in fuel cells to hydrocrack the hydrocarbon lubricant in high pressure rolling contacts has so far been ignored. Here we investigate for the first time the ability of the hydrogen environment to generate a chemical tribofilm on the wear track most likely through lubricant hydrocracking, as compared with argon and air environments. Despite the ability of the hydrogen environment to generate a notably larger amount of atomic hydrogen, the chemical tribofilm significantly prevents the formation of atomic hydrogen and its subsequent diffusion through the lattice of steel rolling element bearings. This is of great importance in the lubrication of hydrogen technology and the prevention of Hydrogen embrittlement (HE). An investigation into the prospects of high energy micro-computed-tomography (Micro-CT) as a non-destructive technique for sub-surface damage characterisation in RCF was comparatively performed alongside traditional sectioning methods.

Due to their mechanical and physical properties, aluminium alloys possess wide potential in the automotive industry, particularly in hot reciprocating applications such as pistons for diesel and petrol engines. WS 2 particle-reinforced composites could bring further improvements by reducing friction and wear between moving parts. Reducing friction improves efficiency by lowering energy/fuel use, ultimately leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions, while antiwear properties can prolong component life. This study compares for the first time the tribological performance of powder metallurgy-consolidated Al composites reinforced with either IF- or 2H-WS 2 particles, so as to elucidate their mechanism of action in test conditions similar to those encountered in engine applications. The composites were tested in lubricated reciprocating contacts against AISI52100 steel balls and the impact of WS 2 could be seen at both 25 and 100 °C. The reduced friction and wear at ambient temperature is due to the predominantly physical mechanism of action of WS 2 , while the best antiwear performance is measured at elevated (standard operating engine) temperatures that promote the chemical reaction of WS 2 with the aluminium matrix. The investigation focused on studying the wear tracks/scars and the tribofilms generated on the composite and ball with optical profilometry, SEM, XPS and Auger spectroscopy.

The influence of the heat transfer field on anomalous film formation under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) conditions was studied. Liquid lubricant film shapes between a transparent disc and steel ball friction pair were investigated by white light optical interferometry. The fatty alcohol 1-dodecanol was used as the representative lubricant to develop anomalous film shapes. A sapphire disc and glass disc, which have different thermal conductivities, were used as the transparent bounding surface. Experiments were performed wherein the applied load, sliding conditions and ambient temperature were varied. The temperature of the lubricant film was estimated by a simple model with the measured traction coefficient. The estimated temperature and maximum Hertzian pressure were compared with the phase diagram of 1-dodecanol obtained using a diamond anvil cell to investigate the phase state of the lubricant film. It was found that the anomalous film shape was stably formed in the solid-state regime of the phase diagram whereas the film exhibited unique characteristics such as the collapse behaviour in high sliding conditions and liquid-like behaviour of the traction with a remaining thickened film part in the liquid state regime. Graphic Abstract

This paper suggests a new mechanism called ‘balancing wedge action’, which is based on the hydrodynamic lubrication theory for textured surfaces. While past studies have considered the local wedge film action produced by textured feature, this new mechanism is based on the promotion of a wedge film action between surfaces by the incorporation of a textured feature. The analytical model used in the current study is a one-dimensional centrally pivoted pad bearing having a single dimple on the pad, which considers the equilibrium of the moment applied to the surfaces. Analytical equations are derived for the pressure, shear stress, load, friction, and moment by integrating the Reynolds equation. A series of parametric simulations of the depth, width, and location of a dimple were conducted. The analytical results showed that the incorporation of a single dimple on the pad surface increases the convergence ratio between the surfaces, producing a load capacity and reducing the friction. No negative pressure can be found within the dimple, where a positive pressure with a greater positive gradient causes a higher shear stress than that outside the dimple. The trends for the load and friction in relation to the dimple depth and location are complex. The creation of the dimple closer to the centre results in a failure to obtain an equilibrium solution for the moment.

This study describes the effects of lubricant additives on the permeation of hydrogen into high-strength-bearing steel in rolling contact conditions. Oil-lubricated tests were conducted in a hydrogen atmosphere under high temperature/pressure. Trioctylphosphate and zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) were used as lubricant additives. Thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) was performed to measure the amount of permeated hydrogen immediately after the rolling contact tests. TDS analysis suggested that ZDDP is very efficient at preventing hydrogen permeation into the substrate. Auger electron spectroscopy revealed the generation of a protective chemical tribofilm containing zinc, sulphur, oxygen and phosphorus at the interface. This tribofilm should be responsible for the lower rates of hydrogen permeation into the bearing steel.

This paper describes an in situ observation of the scuffing process of steel by means of a newly developed system that employs a combination of two-dimensional detector synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), a near-infrared CCD array, and a visible CCD array. In the demonstration of the application of the system, a contact area was produced between a fixed steel pin and a rotating sapphire ring, and the XRD ring, visible image, and near-infrared image of the steel surface of the contact area were synchronously captured at 30 fps under dry conditions. The system visually captured the wear behaviour, significant instantaneous temperature increase, and variation of the grain structure of the steel within the contact area during the scuffing process. The overall wear process was observed to comprise several stages, which were identified with first micro-scuffing, normal wear, second micro-scuffing, and macro-scuffing, respectively. Intermittent plastic flow was observed to occur numerous times with instantaneous heat generation within the contact area during the micro-scuffing processes. The instantaneous heat generation produced an adiabatic boundary condition, which increased the temperature to over 1000°C. The rapid temperature increase and decrease in the contact area also caused repeated phase transformation and reversion between martensite and austenite. The in situ XRD spectrum indicated that the repeated phase transformation and reversion created a definite surface layer that initiated the macro-scuffing process, which caused catastrophic plastic flow.

This paper describes an experimental study on the friction of a-C:H diamond-like carbon (DLC) and ta-C DLC coatings in gas with different concentration of trace water. Pin-on-disk sliding experiments were conducted with DLC coated disks and aluminum pins in hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon. Trace oxygen was eliminated to less than 0.1 ppm, while water in the gas was controlled between 0 and 160 ppm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and laser Raman spectroscopy were used to analyze the transfer films on the metal surfaces. It was found that trace water slightly increased friction in hydrogen gas, whereas trace water caused a significant decrease in the friction coefficient in nitrogen and argon, particularly with a-C:H DLC. The low friction in hydrogen was brought about by the formation of transfer films with structured amorphous carbon, but no differences in the structure and contents of the films were found in the tests with and without trace water. In nitrogen and argon, the low friction with a-C:H DLC was achieved by the gradual formation of transfer films containing structured amorphous carbon, and FT-IR spectra showed that the films contained CH, OH, C–O–C, and C–OH bonds.

We developed a novel in situ observation method associated with synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (XRD) that enables us to simultaneously monitor structural changes of materials, images at frictional interfaces, friction force and temperature with a time resolution on the order of tens of milliseconds. The in situ method was applied to study scuffing process of martensitic steel under a dry condition. The result shows that during scuffing, martensite to austenite phase transformation occurred with plastic flow. The generated austenite phase disappeared when the shear test was stopped. The austenite was present at a surface temperature lower than the nominal austenitisation temperature. After intermittent occurrences of the austenitisation with local plastic flow, the scuffing feature showed a larger amount of austenite, higher friction and greater plastic flow. The XRD spectra suggest that some metallurgical properties of the near-surface material of the steel may change at the scuffing-mode transition.

This article describes experimental and theoretical studies on the cavitation phenomena in the grease lubrication film under pure sliding elastohydrodynamic contact. In situ observation tests using the optical interferometry technique were conducted, and the growth of cavitation was captured using a high-speed camera. The results showed that the cavity grew in two stages, which was similar to the behavior in the base oil, and that the cavity growth rate in the initial stage was higher than that in the second stage. In the initial stage, the cavity growth time in the grease was longer than that in the base oil, and the cavity length after the growth depended on the base oil viscosity. It was also found in the test using diurea grease that small cavities were formed by the lumps of thickener. The cavity growth in the initial stage was discussed by numerical simulation of pressure distribution based on a simple rheological model.

In this study, a direct observation of a point contact area was conducted to understand the scuffing phenomenon. The contact area was produced between a rotating sapphire disc and a stationary steel ball and it was lubricated using n -hexadecane. The image detected by a colour digital CCD camera, load, and friction were synchronously recorded by a computer during the test. It was found that wear debris produced in the contact area played an important role in the wear process, which includes running-in and scuffing. In the test, debris particles accumulated in the inlet zone, and some particles entered the contact area to cause abrasive wear of the ball surface, even in the light-load stages. During the running-in process, the abrasive wear by debris particles changed the conformity between the sliding surfaces. In the high-load stage, just before the occurrence of scuffing, the whole contact area was flattened at once. When scuffing occurred, the contact area suddenly expanded. The conformity of the contact area was dramatically changed during its expansion. The flattening of the whole contact area and dramatic expansion with changing the conformity seemed to play important roles in scuffing.