Dow Corning INTERNAL

Lubrication Basics
14 th April 2011
Dr V S Iyer

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Basic Theory of Lubrication

Transport of a stone statue (600kN) in Egypt 1880 B.C. by 172 slaves. The lubrication engineer is using a
liquid (olive oil) to reduce friction wood/wood.(friction coefficient of wood against wood is u 0.25 to
0.5). Ball bearings AD40 lake Nimi Rome. 3500BC wheels

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Dow Corning INTERNAL

What is Tribology?

Jost 1966 Tribos Greek word : Rubbing

Tribology : Science of Rubbing :
science and engg of interacting
surfaces in relative motion
The study and application of
friction ,
wear , and
lubrication

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Why study Tribology?

1.0 to 1.4% GNP of any country is lost in wear and tear
of the machinery parts.
- Germany: yearly losses caused by friction and
wear of nearly 20 Billions Euros
- USA: yearly losses of 100 Billions Euros
.
-Methodologies help us to diagnose the wear and to
prescribe appropriate solution .thus saving large
sums of money and leading to conservation of
material, energy and environment.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Tribology Terminologies : Friction,

Wear and Lubrication
Friction:

Mechanical resistance against

a relative moving of two surfaces

Wear :

Material losses out of a solid

body in consequence of
tribological stress

Lubrication : Prevention of surface contact

during the relative motion for
wear prevention

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Mathematical expression : Friction

tangential force

Friction
force

Reaction

Ff
FN

Applied Force F

> Frictional force Ff

F Ff
F = Ff

Action

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Types of Friction
Static Friction- A
bodys resistance to
move when
stationary

Dynamic Friction- A bodys

resistance to move when
moving

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Types of Friction ..Contd

Rolling Friction- A bodys
resistance to roll when
rolling

Fluid Friction-A bodys

resistance to move through a
fluid

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Mathematical Expression : Coefficient

of Friction
F

Friction
force

Ff
FN

Coefficient of Friction() is defined as:

F = Ff

F/Ff or W/Ff
W= Applied Load (load expereinced)
Ff= Friction Force (load exerted)

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Coefficient of Static Friction and Kinetic

Friction
Coefficient of Static Friction ():
Coefficient of friction at the sliding motion is just started.
Coefficient of Kinetic Friction () :
Coefficient of friction during the sliding motion.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Some important facts on Friction

1) Friction force(Static/Kinetic) is directory
proportional to Perpendicular Load,
is not related to Apparent Contact Area.
2) Kinetic Friction is not related to Sliding Speed.
3) Static Friction Force is Larger than Kinetic Friction
Force.

1) And 2) : Coulomb Amontons Law

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Calculate the coefficient of friction for the first slide if the

Load of the statue is 600000N and there are 172 slaves who
Are putting a force of 800N?

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Wear and its Mechanism

1. Direct Contact.

2. Initiation of InternalDestruction.

3. Formation of Broken
Element.

4. Promotion.

5. Formation of WearParticles.

6. Break Away.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Types of Wear

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Abrasive Wear
Adhesive Wear
Fatigue Wear
Erosive Wear
Corrosive Wear

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Abrasive Wear due to hard particles

or hard protuberances forced against
and moving along a solid surface.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Adhesive Wear due to localized bonding

between contacting solid surfaces leading to
material transfer between the two surfaces or the
loss from either surface.

Adhesive wear of threaded flanks

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Erosive Wear due to mechanical

interaction between that surface and a
fluid, a multi-component fluid, or
impinging liquid or solid particles

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Corrosive Wear is deterioration of

useful properties in a material due to
reactions with its environment

e.g.Acid Etching

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Fretting corrosion of a shaft

Fretting corrosion of a shaft

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Name That Wear

Surface Fatigue

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Lubrication
Lubrication - the use of ANY material between contact

surfaces of moving parts to reduce........Friction

thereby reducing
Heat
Wear
Noise , heat, power etc

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Lubrication Regimes/Situations
How Lubricants Work
Hydrodynamic Lubrication
Boundary Lubrication
Mixed Lubrication

Dow Corning INTERNAL

State of Friction
+ Fluid Friction: The sliding surfaces are separated
by a lubricant.

h>10-5cm: Fluid friction

h10-4-10-6cm and l>4 : Elastic fluid friction

+ Dry Friction: The sliding surfaces are in direct contact.

l = 1 to 4

+ Mixed Friction: The region of transition from lubricated

to dry friction, both type of friction occur
simultaneously.
+ Boundary Friction: The case of mixed friction in the region
of transition to dry friction.

l<1

30

I.

10 - 50 II.

h : Distance between surfaces.

I. : Boundary lubrication Layer
II. : Oxide Layer

l=

Thickness of fluid layer

Roughness of surface

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Coefficient of friction vs Surface

Condition
Coefficient of Friction
1

>10

10>>1

1>>0.1

0.1>>0.01

0.01>>0.001

0.001>>0.0001

Condition
Perfectly cleaned surface, Under
high vacuum.
Thoroughly cleaned surface, Under
dry air.
Covered by absorbed organic
molecules . Generally exists.
Transition or Mixed state of 3 and 5.
Mixed friction.
Fluid friction.
Friction force is viscosity of fluid.
Lubricated by gas.
Gas bearing.

Coulomb Amontons Law is valid at phase 2 and 3.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Striebeck Curve
Coefficient of Friction
vs
N/P
: Viscosity
N: Rotational Speed
P: Load

Coefficient of Friction is
Proportional to
Viscosity and
Rotational Speed
Inverse Proportional to

Load
N/P

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Boundary Lubrication

Striebeck Curve
Mixed
Lubrication

Boundary
Lubrication

Hydrodynamic
Lubrication

Mixed
Lubrication

Hydrodynamic
Lubrication

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Type of Lubricants
Type

Composition

Grease

Base oil, Thickener, Additives, Solid lubricants

Oil

Base oil, Additives

Anti Friction Coating

Binder, Solvent, Additives, Solid lubricants

Paste

Base oil, Additives, Solid lubricants

Dispersion

Base oil, Additives, Solid lubricants

Powder

Solid lubricants

Dow Corning INTERNAL

The Function of the Lubricants

The function of the Lubricants is
to keep the friction between sliding parts at a low,
to prevent the wear,
to remove the heat of friction,
to remove wear particles from the load carrying zone,
to prevent the penetration of foreign matter
into the lubrication clearance.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

MOLYKOTE SPECIALTY
LUBRICANTS
MOLYKOTE is a Brand name of specialty lubricants

of Dow Corning.
MOLYKOTE specialty lubricants provide solution to
customers problem for lubrication.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Philosophy of MOLYKOTE Greases

All our greases are
Special Lubricants
We sell
Problem Solving Greases
For special applications

High Temperature

Extreme Pressure

Lifetime Lubrication

Aggressive Environment

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Molykote History
Founded 1948 as Alpha Molykote corporation in

Stamford, Connecticut
1954 start of Molykote KG in Munich Germany
1963 Dow Corning acquires Molykote
1970s start of operations in Japan
1990s start of operations in India

2006 Dow Corning, All rights reserved

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Molykote geographically
Product Development and Testing
- Wiesbaden, Germany
- Plymouth, Michigan USA
- Yamakita, Japan

Manufacturing
- Wiesbaden, Germany
- Greensboro, North Carolina USA
- Yamakita, Japan
- Pune, India

2006 Dow Corning, All rights reserved

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Molykote Product Line Lubricants

6 Primary Product Groups

Greases
Pastes
Dispersions
Compounds
Oils
Antifriction Coatings

Dow Corning INTERNAL

MOLYKOTE PRODUCTS
Grease
Paste
AF Coating

Oil /
Dispersion
Solid
Lubricant

Speed

Load

Oil lubrication ,
Boundary lubrication

Middle - High

Low - Middle

Solid lubrication ,
Boundary lubrication

Low - Middle

Middle - High

Solid lubrication

Low - Middle

Middle - High

Oil lubrication

High - Middle

Low - Middle

Low - Middle

Middle - High

Solid lubrication

Dow Corning INTERNAL

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM CUSTOMERS

(Lets meet with design people)
What is the problem? (Customers test result)
What is the application? Where, Why
What is operating condition? LETS :
Load/Environment/Temperature/Speed,Materials,etc
What is the requirement?

What is the current product?

How much is the potential?
When is the time limit?
(Customers commercialization schedule)

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Thank You

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Extra Material for Reading

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Lubricating Oils & modified Lube oils

:Dispersions
Oils are used for gearbox, compressor, vacuum pumps, hydraulics, chains,

etc.
Dispersions are oils with solid lubricants added in it like gear oil additive,
chain oil dispersion, etc.

Dispersions

Oils > 90 %

Additives + solid Lubricants

2-10%

Solid lubricants are either molybedenum disulphide or Graphite or

PTFE or ZnS.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

SILICON

COMPOUNDS
COMPOUNDS
Silicon Fluid
90-98%

PTFE
additive
1-5%

Cab o sil
1-10%

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Grease

Base oil
70%-95%

Thickener
5%-25%

Additives and solid

Lubricants
0%-10%

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Pastes

Base oil
40%-80%

Thickener
0%-15%

Additives and solid

Lubricants
10%-60%

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Antifriction
Coatings
Solvents
30 70 %

Resin
5%-25%

Additives and solid

Lubricants
10%-20%

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Basic composition of each product

Base Oil Solid
Thickener Binder
Lubricant
Grease

Paste
AF Coating

Oil /
Dispersion
Solid
Lubricant

Additive Solvent

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Different Frictional States during Lubrication

and suitable Lubricants

Pastes, Solid Lubricants

Anti-Friction-Coatings

Greases with solid lubs

Dispersions

Greases < (2m/s),

Oils

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Terms: Dn Value
Dn Value
Bore size* of bearing in mm times RPM
Example: 2 ID bearing @ 5000 RPM
2 X 2.54 X 10 = 50.8 mm
Dn = 50.8 mm X 5000 RPM = 254,000

* Root diameter is used outside the Americas

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Hydrodynamic Lubrication (h>Ra)

Surfaces

completely
separated by
lubricant film
Plain bearings &
Bushings

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Hydrodynamic Lubrication
High rotation speed at relatively low bearing loads

results in hydrodynamic friction.

Characterized by stable squeeze film (oil film) between
the rubbing surfaces.
No contact between the surfaces occurs in
hydrodynamic lubrication.
In hydrodynamic lubrication the coefficient of friction
drops due fall in viscosity of the lubricant with
consequent decrease of the temperature. The system
corrects itself. Thus hydrodynamic lubrication is
stable.

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Boundary Lubrication (h<Ra)

Slow speeds
Heavy Loads
Solid lubricants
Gears

Dow Corning INTERNAL

Boundary Lubrication
A constant contact between surface points

(microasperities).
Characterized by high coefficient of friction (energy
loss), increased wear, possibility of seizure between
the bearing and journal materials , non-uniform
distribution of the bearing load (localized pressure
peaks).
Very severe engine bearing failures are caused by
boundary lubrication.
Conditions for boundary lubrication observed at low
speed friction (engine start and shutdown) and high
loads.
Extreme pressure (EP) additives in the lubricant
prevent seizure conditions caused by direct metal-tometal contact between the parts in the boundary
lubrication regime.