The Influence of Type of Dispersed Phase on Rolling Contact Fatigue of Lubricating Greases on Mineral Base Oil
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TRIBOLOGIA - Finnish Journal of Tribology 1-2 vol 37/2020 https://doi.org/10.30678/fjt.87221 © 2020 The Author https://journal.fi/tribologia Open access (CC BY 4.0) The influence of type of dispersed phase on rolling contact fatigue of lubricating greases on mineral base oil R. Kozdrach Research Network LUKASIEWICZ- Institute for Sustainable Technologies, K. Pulaski 6/10, 26-600 Radom, Poland [email protected] ABSTRACT The paper discusses the influence of type dispersed phase on value of rolling contact fatigue of bearings lubri- cated with selected lubricating compositions. The compositions, which were produced on the mineral base oil were thickened of lithium stearate, calcium stearate, aluminum stearate, lithium complex soap and modified silica, montmorillonite, and polytetrafluoroethylene were evaluated. Were carried out the investigations of rolling contact fatigue (pitting) of bearings, which were lubricated of the compositions prepared on the above-mentioned thickeners. Then was evaluated the influence of various thickeners on changes of rolling contact fatigue. The tribological tests were carried out using T-03 four-ball machine under high load conditions. On the basis of obtained results it may be concluded, that used of thickeners such as: modified amorphous sili- ca, montmorillonite and polytetrafluoroethylene to produce of lubricating compositions, positively affected on the change of rolling contact fatigue of tribosystems lubricated with the above-mentioned compositions in comparison to the compositions, when as a dispersed phase were used a soap thickeners. Keywords: dispersed phase, thickener, lubricating grease, rolling contact fatigue, pitting, Weibull curve. 1. Introduction and structural stability and lubricating properties One of the components of lubricating grease is a thick- (especially antiseizure). Therefore increasingly the complex ener. It is a substance, which was provided a spatial struc- thickeners were displaced from field of conventional thick- tural arrangement and suitable rheological and tribological eners such as e.g. the simple soaps [4]. properties of prepared lubricating grease. The content of However the organic thickeners such as a metal salts of thickener in the lubricating grease was from 5% to 30% and I and II groups of the periodic table and highlymolecular depends on the type of thickener and consistency of lubri- fatty acids are strong oxidizers and has a high thermal sta- cating grease [1]. From the type of thickener will depend a bility, and the lubricating greases thickened with these sub- series of operational characteristics of lubricating greases stances has a high of durability of exploitation [5]. An im- such as: texture, mechanical stability, temperature stability, portant meaning has inorganic thickeners, which may in- rheological properties or resistance on action of water and clude the colloidal silica and montmorillonite. They im- acids [2]. proved the chemical stability and lubricating properties of One of the generally used classifications of lubricating produced lubricating compositions, thereupon on the greases is a classification based on the type of the thickener. worlds fields were followed an increase of interest in this On this basis were stand out the greases: soap (e.g.: on the type of thickeners [6-12]. lithium stearate), mixed (e.g.: on the lithium-calcium The one of the most frequent forms of wear, which dete- soaps), inorganic (e.g.: on the silica or bentonite) and poly- riorates the working elements of machines and devices is meric (e.g.: on the polyurethane or terephthalates) [3]. surface fatigue wear, so-called pitting. This type of wear is Nowadays increasingly meaning at production of lubri- caused by the cyclic stresses in the areas where the material cating greases has a complex and organic thickeners. The is in contact with the lubricant. The cause of pitting is the complex compounds, which were used as a thickeners of fatigue of the surface layer. The process of spall wear con- lubricating greases were increased the dropping point of sists of three phases: the early formation of cracks due to the produced lubricating composition, thereupon was fatigue, the extension of the cracks due injection of the lu- raised the maximum temperature of the applicability of bricating grease, and finally pulling out the particles of ma- such product. The incorporation of these types of thicken- terial from the surface layer. The surface fatigue wear de- ers in the structure of lubricating greases was increased of pends on many factors, e.g. the properties of the material, the resistance on action of water, improved the mechanical the conditions of working, the construction of the tribosys- 33 TRIBOLOGIA - Finnish Journal of Tribology 1-2 vol 37/2020 R. Kozdrach. The influence of type of dispersed phase on rolling contact fatigue of lubricating greases on mineral base oil tem or physicochemical properties of the lubricating com- HRC. The test set-up was constantly measured for vibra- positions [13-19]. This form of wear is characteristic for tions and the test was automatically intermitted when the rolling friction with the sidle, as well as for dry friction and permissible level of vibrations reached the defined limit. leads to the loss of properties of the lubricated elements. The run was accepted, when crumbling appeared on the The aim of this work was the analysis of influence of top ball. If chipping occurred on one of the lower balls, the the type of the dispersed phase used to prepare of lubricat- run was rejected. The result of each run is defined by the ing compositions on the rolling contact fatigue of bearings time in minutes. The results of individual runs were in food industry developed at the Research Network ranked from the shortest to the longest. Each result re- LUKASIEWICZ - Institute for Sustainable Technologies in ceived the percentage value of probability of the ball dam- Radom. age. According to the IP 300/82 [31] standard method, the time vs. probability of damage were marked on the 2. The subject and methodology of research Weibull graph. Such prepared graphs provided the values of L10 and L50, defining the durability of the tribosystem A group of model lubricating compositions made of at 10% and 50% probability of damage, respectively [32- non-toxic components were prepared to determine of dis- 35]. On the basis of pitting time values, the accumulated persion and dispersed phase. As a dispersion phase was percentage of damages was calculated as follows: used a paraffin oil about the pharmaceutical grade [20]. However as a solid phase (dispersed) were used: the lithi- the probability of damage = i/(n+1)*100% um stearate [21-24], the calcium stearate [25], the alumi- where: num stearate [23-24,26], the 12-hydroxystearate-adipate i – the run number, (1:0,25) of lithium [27], the amorphous silica Aerosil has a n – the number of runs terminated with pitting (n=24). particle size of 7 – 40 nm [28], montmorillonite [29] and polytetrafluoroethylene [30]. The XPS analysis was carried out using a spectrometer by PREVAC. In order to remove from the surface of the Each of the above-mentioned thickeners was intro- specimen the adsorbed foreign substances and products duced to the base oil in an amount of 12% m/m. So formed the oxidation, initial surface cleaning of the specimen was lubricating compositions was determined of symbols A, B, conducted using the ion mill Ar+. To induce excitation in C, D, E, F and G. In the early phase of the experiment was the specimen, an X-ray lamp equipped with the standard taken the research to the above an amount of the thickener achromatic source of X-rays, accompanied by a double an- to be introduces into to the lubricating composition. The ode Al/Mg, were used. The main ion sputtering (for creat- tests were carried out with the compositions containing ing depth profiles) was conducted with 5 kV beam, with a from 5% to 30% of thickener. The so-prepared lubricating current of 10 mA, and current density at 147 µA/cm2. Sur- compositions were tested on their tribological properties. vey analyses after each cycle of ion sputtering were con- The tribological properties of the lubricating composi- ducted using radiation Al Kα energy 1486.6 eV, with a tions were evaluated according to a standardized proce- transition energy of 200 eV and an increment of 200 meV. dure described in IP 300/82 on a modified four-ball ma- The parameters for creating a detailed spectrum for each chine T-03. The evaluation procedure was based on the element were selected individually, taking into account the estimation of surface fatigue wear of the rolling tribosys- power of the X-ray excitation, the element, sampling densi- tem during 24 runs under constant load of 5886 N and con- ty, transition energy, and slits of the analyser lenses. These stant speed of 1450 rpm. The actual test elements were the parameters were set in such a way so that the quality of the ½’’ bearing balls made of 100Cr6 steel, which surface obtained spectra was the highest. The recorded spectra roughness was 0,032 mm and hardness was about 60-65 were subjected to a detailed digital analysis, based on which the quantitative composition of elements in subse- Table 1. The chemical composition of lubricating greases quent layers was established [36,37]. A confocal dispersive Raman NRS 5100 microspectome- ter (Jasco Corporation, Japan) equipped with an excitation laser with a wavelength of 532.12 nm and a CCD detector was used to test the chemical composition of lubricating greases after tribological tests. The parameters of the spect- rometer were as follows: diffraction grating 2400 lines/ mm, laser power 3.6 mW, numerical aperture 3000 μm, spectral range 3700÷200 cm-1, resolution 2.1 cm-1, magnifi- cation of the lens 20x, exposure time 40 s.