Reducing losses in transmissions has become a high priority in the automotive market during recent years, mainly due to environmental concerns leading to regulations placed on the automotive industry to drive the development of vehicles with lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Rising fuel prices and increasing environmental concerns have also made customers more prone to purchase more fuel efficient vehicles. In addition to the fuel savings that could be achieved by increased efficiency of transmissions there are other benefits as well. A more efficient transmission will in general generate less heat, and experience less wear. This will lead to fewer failures, longer service life of components, and possibly longer service intervals. Furthermore this implies a possibility to reduce coolant components, thus reducing the total weight of the system, leading to a further decrease in consumption and a lower impact on the environment due to a reduction of material usage. A low weight design is also beneficial for vehicle dynamics and handling. In addition to the automotive market, gears are extensively used in many other fields, such as wind power and industry. In some cases a substantial part of the losses in a gear transmission is attributed to gear contact friction due to sliding and rolling between the gear teeth. To better understand the contact friction phenomena in gears an experimental apparatus capable of running under similar conditions to gears is chosen. By using a ball on disc test device the contact friction can be measured in a broad range of speeds and slide to roll ratios (SRR). The results are presented as a 3D friction map which can be divided into four different regions; Linear, Non-linear, mixed and thermal. In each of these regions different mechanisms are influencing the coefficient of friction. Several tests have been conducted with different lubricants, EP- additive packages, operating temperatures, surface roughness and coatings. The method gives a good overview, a system fingerprint, of the frictional behaviour for a specific system in a broad operating range. By observing results for different systems, it is possible to identify how different changes will influence the coefficient of friction in different regimes, and therefore optimize the system depending on operating conditions. Among other things the tests have shown that reducing base oil viscosity increases contact friction in most operating conditions, introducing an earlier transition from full film to mixed lubrication, and increasing full film friction in many cases with high sliding speeds. An increase in operating temperature could both increase, and decrease the coefficient of friction depending on running conditions. Introducing smoother surfaces reduces the coefficient of friction at lower entrainment speeds since thinner lubricant films are required to avoid asperity collitions. By applying a DLC coating on one or both surfaces in a EHL contact, the friction coefficient is shown to decrease, even in the full film regime.

Today, with increasing demands on industry to reduce energy consumption and emissions, the strive to increase the efficiency of machine components is maybe bigger than ever. This PhD thesis focus on friction in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), found in, among others, gears, bearings and cam followers. Friction in such contacts is governed by a complex interaction of material, surface and lubricant parameters as well as operating conditions. In this work, experimental studies have been conducted that show how friction varies over a wide range of running conditions when changing parameters like lubricant viscosity, base oil type, surface roughness and lubricant temperature. These measurements have also been used to predict the friction behaviour in a real gear application. Numerical modeling of elastohydrodynamic (EHD) friction and film thickness are important for increased understanding of the field of EHL. Due to the high pressure and shear normally found in EHD contacts it is crucial that appropriate rheological models are used. An investigation has been carried out in order to assess the friction prediction capabilities of some of the most well founded rheological models. A numerical model was used to predict friction coefficients through the use of lubricant transport properties. Experiments were then performed that matches the predicted results rather well, and the deviations are discussed. The numerical model in combination with experimental measurements are used to investigate the friction reducing effect of diamond like carbon (DLC) coatings in EHL. A new mechanism of friction reduction through thermal insulation is proposed as an alternative to the current hypothesis of solid-liquid slip. These findings opens up for new families of coatings where thermal properties are in focus that may be both cheaper, and more effective in reducing friction in certain applications than DLC coatings of today.

To improve performance of machine components, lubrication is one of the most important factors. Especially for use in extreme environments, researchers look for other solutions rather than common lubricant base stocks like mineral oils or vegetable oils. One such example is ionic liquids. Ionic liquids have been defined as molten salts with melting points below 100 °C that are entirely ionic in nature, comprising both cationic and anionic species. The industrial use of ionic liquids is mostly as solvents, electrolytes, extractants and catalysts. In tribological applications, ionic liquids are mainly studied in boundary lubrication and in pure sliding contacts. In this work, the elastohydrodynamic performance of a bio-based, non-corrosive, [choline][L-proline] ionic liquid is evaluated in terms of pressure-viscosity response, film forming capability and friction. The results show a pressure-viscosity coefficient of below 8 GPa^-1 at 25 °C, among the lowest reported for any ionic liquid. The ionic liquid generated up to 70% lower friction than a reference paraffin oil with a calculated difference in film thickness of 11%. It was also shown that this ionic liquid is very hygroscopic, which is believed to explain part of the low friction results, but also has to be considered in practical applications since the water content will influence the properties and thus the performance of the lubricant.

Ionic liquids have been defined as molten salts with melting points below 100 degrees C that are entirely ionic in nature, comprising both cationic and anionic species. The industrial use of ionic liquids is mostly as solvents, electrolytes, extractants and catalysts. In tribological applications, Ionic liquids are mainly studied in boundary lubrication and in pure sliding contacts. In this work, the elastohydrodynamic performance of a non-corrosive, non-protonic ionic liquid is studied to assess the feasibility to use this kind of ionic liquid in machine components such as gears, rolling bearings and cam followers. This study includes ball on disc friction experiments in rolling sliding full film elastohydrodynamic lubrication at high slide to roll ratios, as well as film thickness measurements with optical interferometry. A commercially available paraffin oil has been used as a reference.

To further improve the efficiency of machine components found in automotive engine systems it is important to understand the friction generation in these components. Modelling and simulation of these components are crucial parts of the development process. Accurate simulation of the friction generated in these machine components is, amongst other things, dependent on realistic lubricant rheology and lubricant properties, where especially the latter may change during ageing of the lubricant. Many modern heavy-duty diesel engines are in operation for several hundred hours before the engine oil is changed. In this work, two engine oils, one 10 W-30 and one 5 W-20, have been aged in full heavy-duty diesel engine bench tests for 400 and 470 hours respectively. This roughly corresponds to the amount of ageing these oils are subjected to between oil drains in field conditions. The aged oils were subjected to a number of oil analyses showing, among other things, a maximum increase in oil viscosity of 12.9% for the 5 W-20 oil and 5.5% for the 10 W-30 oil, which is most likely primarily an effect of evaporation and oxidation. The aged oils were tested in a ball-on-disc test rig under elastohydrodynamic conditions where friction was measured and the performance was compared to fresh samples of the same oils. The results show that there is almost no difference in elastohydrodynamic friction when comparing the aged oils with the fresh oils. These results indicate that it is not necessary to include oil ageing in numerical elastohydrodynamic friction models as long as the oil is changed before the ageing has reached a critical level

Numerical modeling of friction in elastohydrodynamically lubricated contacts are of high importance in the development of various types of machine elements such as gears, rolling element bearings and cam followers. The friction generated in the machine elements of a system does not only affect efficiency, but also the dynamics and overall function. Accurate simulation of the friction generated in machine components is, among other things dependent on realistic lubricant properties, which may change during ageing of the lubricant. Many modern machines are in operation for several hundred ours before the oil is changed. In this work, two engine oils, one 10W-30 and one 5W-20, have been aged in full heavy-duty diesel engine bench tests for a duration comparable to the amount of ageing these oils are subjected to between oil drains in field conditions. The aged oils were subjected to several analyses showing, among other things, a maximum increase in viscosity, and a reduction in some additives. Fresh and aged oils were tested in a ball-on-disc test rig under elastohydrodynamic conditions where friction was measured. The results showed almost no difference in elastohydrodynamic friction between the fresh and the aged oils.

The capability to predict elastohydrodynamic film-thickness and friction from primary measurements of transport properties of liquid has been an elusive goal for tribologists for 50 years. Most comparisons between predictions and experiments involve some amount of tuning of the model in order to match the experimental results. In true prediction, this cannot be done since there are normally no experimental results to compare to. Primary measurements of lubricant transport properties of Squalane were performed, and used in a numerical friction prediction model. Afterwards, friction was measured in a ball-on-disc tribotester. No tuning of the lubricant properties, model or test setup were applied. The current work on EHL-friction is therefore a true representation of the current level of EHL-friction prediction.

Reducing friction is of utmost importance to improve efficiency and lifetime of many products used in our daily lives. Thin hard coatings like diamond-like carbon (DLC) have been shown to reduce friction in full-film-lubricated contacts. In this work, it is shown that contrarily to common belief, the friction reduction stems mainly from a thermal phenomenon and not only a chemical/surface interaction one. It is shown that a few micrometer-thin DLC coating can significantly influence the thermal behavior in a lubricated mechanical system. The presented simulations, validated by experiments, show that applying a thin DLC coating to metal surfaces creates an insulating effect that due to the increased liquid lubricant film temperature at the center of the contact, locally reduces lubricant viscosity and thus friction. The results of the investigation show that the addition of thin insulating layers could lead to substantial performance increases in many applications. On a component level, the contact friction coefficient in some common machine components like gears, rolling element bearings, and cam followers can potentially be reduced by more than 40 %. This will most likely open up the way to new families of coatings with a focus on thermal properties that may be both cheaper and more suitable in certain applications than DLC coatings

A coating material made of carbon reduces friction not just by providing a slippery surface, but also by keeping the points of contact warm. Marcus Björling at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden and his team coated steel balls with ``diamond-like-carbon'' - a material in which carbon atoms have a bonding pattern similar to that of diamond. They rolled the balls against a metal disk with an oil lubricant in between, and showed that the carbon coating acts as an insulator, lowering the viscosity of the lubricant and thus reducing the fricion between the ball and the disk. These findings could encourage the development of lubricant coatings made from insulating materials.

High hardness, high elastic modulus, low friction characteristics, high wear and corrosion resistance, chemical inertness, and thermal stability are factors that make diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings the subject of many studies. For the same reasons they also seem suitable for use in, amongst others, machine components and cutting tools. While most studies in the literature focus on the influence of coatings on wear and friction in boundary lubrication and pure sliding contacts, few studies can be found concerning rolling and sliding elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) friction, especially in the mixed and full film regime. In this article tests are carried out in a Wedeven Associates Machine tribotester where an uncoated ball and disc pair is compared to the case of coated ball against uncoated disc, coated disc against uncoated ball, and coated disc against coated ball. The tests are conducted at two different temperatures and over a broad range of slide-to-roll ratios and entrainment speeds. The results are presented as friction maps as introduced in previous work (Björling et al. in J Eng Tribol 225(7):671, 2011). Furthermore a numerical simulation model is developed to investigate if there is a possibility that the hard, thin DLC coating is affecting the friction coefficient in an EHL contact due to thermal effects caused by the different thermal properties of the coating compared to the substrate. The experimental results show a reduction in friction coefficient in the full film regime when DLC-coated surfaces are used. The biggest reduction is found when both surfaces are coated, followed by the case when either ball or disc is coated. The thermal simulation model shows a substantial increase of the lubricant film temperature compared to uncoated surfaces when both surfaces are coated with DLC. The reduction in friction coefficient when coating either only the ball or the disc are almost the same, lower than when coating both the surfaces but still higher than the uncoated case. The findings above indicate that it is reasonable to conclude that thermal effects are a likely cause for the decrease in coefficient of friction when operating under full film conditions, and in the mixed lubrication regime when DLC-coated surfaces are used

The application of surface coatings has been shown to reduce friction in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), not only in the mixed and boundary regime when asperity interactions occur, but also in the full film regime. Several studies suggest that the full film friction reduction is due to a violation of the no-slip boundary condition and thus slip is taking place between the solid and the liquid. Another hypothesis proposes that the full film friction reduction is due to the low thermal conductivity of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings. In this work, two DLC coatings with the same composition, but different thicknesses, are investigated with uncoated steel specimens as a reference, all with the same surface roughness. Friction tests in a ball-on-disk machine show that both coatings reduce friction compared to the uncoated reference case in full film EHL. The thicker coating is significantly more effective at reducing friction than the thinner one at a maximum friction reduction of 41 % compared to 29 % for the thinner coating. Moreover, contact angle measurements, surface energy measurements, and spreading parameter calculations show no statistically significant differences between the two coatings, suggesting that the friction reduction capabilities of coatings in full film EHL cannot be described by solid-liquid interactions alone. The difference in friction reduction between the specimens in this work is mainly attributed to different thermal properties.

A friction test is conducted in a WAM ball on disc test rig. The output from the test is friction coefficient versus entrainment speed and slide-to-roll ratio presented as a 3D friction map. A number of parameters are varied while studying the friction coefficient; surface roughness, base oil viscosity and EP additive package. Entrainment speed, slide to roll ratio and oil temperature are also varied. The results show that the mapping is efficient in showing the different types of friction that may occur in an EHL contact. The results also show that the friction behaviour can be strongly influenced by changing surface roughness as well as base oil viscosity, EP additive content and operating temperature.

A friction test is conducted in a Wedeven Associates Machine ball-on-disc test rig. The output from the test, friction coefficient versus entrainment speed and slide-to-roll ratio (SRR), is presented as a three-dimensional friction map. A number of parameters are varied while studying the friction coefficient; surface roughness, base oil viscosity, base oil type, and extreme pressure (EP) additive package. Entrainment speed, SRR, and oil temperature are also varied. The results show that the mapping is efficient in showing the different types of friction that may occur in an elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication contact. The results also show that the friction behaviour can be strongly influenced by changing surface roughness as well as base oil viscosity, base oil type, EP additive content, and operating temperature.

Running experiments with full-size gearboxes from the actual application has the advantage of giving realistic results in terms of power losses. The drawback is extensive costs, lengthy testing, and the difficulty in differentiating between load dependent and load independent losses, and which losses are coming from the gears, seals, bearings or synchronizers. In this work, the correlation between friction measurements conducted in a ball-on-disc machine and friction measurements conducted in a back-to-back gear rig is investigated. The correlation between the gear tests and the ball-on-disc tests were reasonably good in terms of absolute values, and the shape of the friction curves were similar, indicating that the ball-on-disc measurements to a large extent are capturing the behavior of the gear contact

Low friction is one of the most important parameters for the development of machine components and machines with high efficiency. Many of the common machine components of today such as gears, rolling element bearings and cam-followers are defined by their non-conformal contacts leading to high-contact pressures, typically 1–4 GPa. The lubrication of such contacts is usually called elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings and glycerol have individually been shown to produce low friction in boundary, mixed and full film lubrication. A few studies have been conducted using both glycerol and DLC-coated surfaces to achieve even lower friction in pure sliding boundary-lubricated contacts. However, the literature is lacking studies of how the combination of glycerol and DLC performs in non-conformal rolling/sliding contacts where many common machine components operate. Such a study is presented in this article where a ball-on-disc test rig is used to investigate the performance of the combination of DLC and glycerol at pressures up to 1.95 GPa at various entrainment speeds and slide-to-roll ratios. The investigation shows that the DLC-glycerol combination provides very low friction values, in some cases, below the superlubricity threshold of 0.01, possibly shown for the first time at such high pressure in a non-conformal rolling/sliding contact. The low friction mechanism in full film lubrication is a combination of the low pressure-viscosity and high temperature-viscosity sensitivity of glycerol in combination with thermal insulation of the DLC coating and is presented as thermally assisted liquid superlubricity.

Lubrication and surface engineering plays a vital part in the efficiency of machine components. By using low friction fluids and low friction coatings the efficiency of machine components can be improved dramatically. Glycerol is an example of a fluid with extraordinary low friction characteristics in various systems. Diamond like carbon (DLC) coatings have also been shown to reduce friction in a variety of tribological interfaces. In this study, the elastohydrodynamic performance of glycerol with DLC coated surfaces has been investigated in rolling sliding contacts at high pressures and high slide-to-roll ratios. The DLC-glycerol system is compared to a steel-synthetic oil system and the differences are significant.

Unwanted ice build-up is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature, which creates a series of catastrophic impacts on a wide range of human activities. Various anti/de-icing materials have been proposed for dealing with icing issues. Superhydrophobic anti/de-icing coatings have been widely reported since it has high efficiency and can be achieved in different ways. The surface functional groups have a significant influence on surface energy which is related to surface wettability. However, the influence of the coating surfaces functional groups on the anti-/de-icing properties is still not well studied. To investigate this influence, different groups with different hydrophilicity have been introduced to 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-Tridecafluorooctyl acrylate (TFOA) to fabricate several branch copolymer ice-phobic coatings. The anti-icing performance and the influence of group radius and interaction were studied. The acrylic acid TFOA showed a great superhydrophobic property (over 150° water contact angle), lower ice adhesion strength (<50 kPa), and lower wear depth compared with other copolymer coatings. The mechanism was studied via the molecular dynamic calculation carried out in ChemDraw software. The interaction between hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups and the steric length of the hydrophilic groups influence the surface structure and surface element distribution, further influencing the ice adhesion strength.

Accumulation of snow and ice often causes problems and even dangerous situations for both industry and the general population. Passive de-icing technologies, e.g., hydrophobic, liquid-infused bionic surfaces, have attracted more and more attention compared with active de-icing technologies, e.g., electric heating, hot air heating, due to the passive de-icing technology's lower energy consumption and sustainability footprint. Using passive de-icing coatings seems to be one of the most promising solutions. However, the previously reported de-icing coatings suffer from high ice adhesion strength or short service life caused by wear. An intrinsic self-healing material based on poly-silicone-urea is developed in this work to address these problems. The material is prepared by introducing dynamic disulfide bonds into the hard phase of the polymer. Experimental results indicate that this poly-silicone-urea has a self-healing efficiency of close to 99%. More interestingly, it is found that the coating prepared from this poly-silicone-urea has a super low ice adhesion force, only 7 ± 1 kPa, which is almost the lowest value compared with previous intrinsic self-healing de-/anti-icing reports. This material can maintain low ice adhesion strength after healing. This intrinsic self-healing poly-silicone-urea can meet several practical applications, opening the door for future sustainable anti-/de-icing technologies.

Previous investigations on anti-/de-icing techniques have primarily focused on mild laboratory conditions, which have limited practical applicability due to their short service life. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for the development of durable anti-/de-icing technologies capable of withstanding complex environmental conditions. In this research endeavour, we have successfully formulated a hydrophobic coating based on graphene. To circumvent the challenges associated with environmentally unfriendly organic solvents, we utilized a graphene water slurry as the foundational material and subsequently incorporated a poly (vinyl alcohol)-water solution. The resulting solution was subjected to in situ polymerization of a siloxane urea crosslinked polymer, yielding the desired coating solution. Following a solution spraying and drying process, the ultimate product obtained was the hydrophobic conductive graphene (HCG) siloxane Coating. The HCG siloxane Coating exhibits a conductivity of 66 S/m, enabling it to melt ice droplets within a mere 10 s, whereas conventional coatings require 20–500 s for the same task. A comprehensive field test conducted during an entire winter period on a high mountain situated within the Arctic Circle in Finland demonstrated the excellent anti-icing properties of the developed coating when subjected to approximately 310 W/m2 power. Furthermore, the coating exhibited satisfactory de-icing performance under approximately 570 W/m2 power, successfully removing ice accumulations within approximately 10 min. Throughout the field test, temperatures frequently plummeted to −20 °C, accompanied by wind speeds reaching up to 12 m/s. Material characterization revealed that the micro-nano structure of the coating surface, which engenders favourable hydrophobic behaviour, was primarily attributed to the phase separation resulting from hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. Moreover, the semi-interpenetrating structure formed by the polyvinyl alcohol molecular chains and in-situ polymerized siloxane urea ensured the coating's strength.

Wind power is considered as a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy source. However, the occurrence of icing poses significant challenges to energy production, particularly in frigid regions during the winter season. Conventional strategies employed for preventing and removing ice formation have proven inadequate due to their inability to satisfy intricate requirements or their high energy consumption. In this study, a commercial gelcoat coating was adopted as an anti-/de-icing coating by introducing different concentrations of graphene and boron nitride into the gelcoat coating through physical mixing. Extensive investigations were conducted on the correlation between anti-/de-icing, wear resistance, and thermal conductivity. Notably, the incorporation of nanoparticles induced a rise in the surface roughness, resulting in prolonged resistance to water icing on the coated surface. The wear resistance and thermal conductivity of the composite coating were enhanced through the inclusion of boron nitride and graphene. The building of thermal conductive particle networks improved thermal conductivity which can lead to improved heat transfer and heat distribution. At the same time, the enhanced gelcoat composite coating exhibited exceptional passive anti-/de-icing performance and wear resistance. This coating can replace commercial coatings to improve anti-/de-icing efficiency for the existing active heating anti-/de-icing techniques available in the market.

In this study, we aimed to enhance the wear resistance, thermal conductivity, and anti-/de-icing properties of a gelcoat composite coating by incorporating graphene and boron nitride. The gelcoat graphene coating showed better performance than the gelcoat boron nitride coating and pure gelcoat coating. The improved wear resistance of the gelcoat graphene coating can be attributed to the two-dimensional layer structure of graphene, while the addition of graphene resulted in a threefold increase in the thermal conductivity of the gelcoat composite coating compared to the pure gelcoat coating. The gelcoat composite coatings exhibited a high-water contact angle and low ice adhesive force. It was observed that as the surface roughness increased, the water contact angle also increased. The increase in ice adhesion after abrasion proves that abrasion is always detrimental to de-icing. Despite the extension of icing delay time, the large number of grooves and bumps created by wear results in stronger mechanical interlocking. It is worth mentioning that gelcoat graphene coating still demonstrated lower ice adhesive strength than gelcoat boron nitride coating and pure gelcoat coating. Overall, we successfully developed a gelcoat graphene coating with improved thermal conductivity, wear resistance, and low ice adhesive properties. This novel composite coating has the potential to significantly enhance the efficiency of existing heating technologies for anti-/de-icing applications, thereby reducing energy consumption associated with the turbine blades’ anti-/de-icing system.

Three different lubricating greases and their bleed and base oils were compared in terms of film thickness in a ball-on-disc test rig through optical interferometry. The theoretical values calculated according to Hamrock's equation are in close agreement with the base oil film thickness measurements, which validates the selected experimental methodology.The grease and bleed oil film thickness under fully flooded lubrication conditions presented quite similar behaviour and levels. Therefore, the grease film thickness under full film conditions might be predicted using their bleed oil properties, namely the viscosity and pressure-viscosity coefficient. The base and bleed oil lubricant parameter LP are proportional to the measured film thickness.A relationship between grease and the corresponding bleed oil film thickness was evidenced

In order to increase the usage and explore new applications of glycerol as a replacement for fossil-based lubricants its properties needs to be known at the fundamental level. In this study, the viscosity of pure glycerol at high pressures and strain rates has been investigated using of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, utilizing both the Green-Kubo (GK) formalism and the SLLOD algorithm. Although the viscosity acquired by the GK method is in agreement with the corresponding experimental values at low pressure, a significant distinction was identified between the viscosity obtained by the GK method and the experimental values at higher pressures (P > 0.5 GPa). This results in a clear difference between the viscosity-pressure coefficient attained by the GK method and the corresponding experimental value. The SLLOD method using a non-equilibrium MD (NEMD) platform was exploited to take into account the simultaneous effects of strain rate and pressure on viscosity. As a result, the pressure-viscosity coefficient acquired by the SLLOD algorithm approaches the experimental value. By combining the experimental outputs for viscosity at low strain rates ( < 104 s−1) with the SLLOD outputs at higher rates ( > 105 s−1), the evolutions of glycerol viscosity with pressure and strain rate were ultimately achieved. Implementing this computational platform depicts the shear thinning process in pure glycerol in a wide range of pressures and strain rates.

In this study, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations with a reactive force field were used to investigate the tribochemical properties of glycerol, with and without water, confined between two ferrous surfaces. The results demonstrated that glycerol significantly reduced friction on α-Fe slabs more effectively than on functionalized amorphous magnetite. A numerical method was introduced to identify the interface region and evaluate the dissociated surface atoms. It was found that the dissociation rate of glycerol molecules increased with applied normal pressure and shear stress. Additionally, the production rate of water molecules from glycerol dissociation was consistently positive for all solutions above 80 % wt. The assumption of linear velocity distribution across the film thickness was validated for all systems studied.

Numerous tribological contacts worldwide rely on adequate lubrication quality for proper functionality. Despite this, there is no existing approach to accurately predict the state of lubrication. The default model since introduced in the 1960s—the Λ-ratio, defined as the oil film thickness over the surface roughness height—is unpredictable and may yield erroneous results. Here, we put forward a framework for a new updated film parameter, Λ∗, which accounts for the elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) effects induced by surface irregularities on the microscopic scale (micro-EHL). This new film parameter was validated in ball-on-disc tribological tests with engineering surfaces comprising isotropic and anisotropic structures. As expected, the new model was found to accurately predict the experimentally measured true mixed and full-film EHL regimes. The ability to accurately predict the mode of lubrication represents a major advance in designing tribological interfaces for optimal efficiency and durability.

A new semi-analytical model for estimating the lubrication quality in rough surface elasto-hydrodynamiclubricated (EHL) contacts is presented. The model was derived upon the basis of an idealized micro-EHLcontact, and was subsequently extended to account for real engineering surfaces comprising isotropic andanisotropic roughness lay. Model validation was made against ball-on-disc experiments in which the true mixedand EHL regimes where identified by means of the electrical-contact-resistance signal (ECR). While, theconventional approach, the Λ-ratio, was found to grossly mispredict the transition to the EHL and mixedlubrication(ML) regime boundary, the new film parameter was found to be surprisingly accurate.

To improve the efficiency in non-conformal type of machine elements, it is of crucial importance to gain knowledge about the underlying mechanism that governs the formation of an elastohydrodynamic (EHD) oil film. This study was set out to explore the dependency of surface roughness and operating conditions on the transition to full film elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). A ball-on-disc device, arranged for monitoring electrical contact resistance (ECR), was operated under a wide variety of heavily loaded rolling/sliding conditions. To reduce complexity in the film formation process, any tribo-chemical effects were minimized by the selection of a neat synthetic lubricant. Two types of tests were set-up to examine, in particularly, the role of load and slide-to-roll ratio (SRR) on the EHD film formation. In the first, the contact was mapped over the speed and SRR parameter space to capture the transition from EHL to mixed lubrication when starting in EHL. The contact was then operated under different loads to reveal the EHL transitions dependency to variations in Hertzian contact pressure. In the second set of tests, the contact was initiated in mixed lubrication, and film formation was monitored until surfaces achieved lift-off for EHL by adequate surface modification due to running-in. Subsequently, special emphasis was set out to investigate what transformations those surfaces had to undergo in order for EHL lift-off to take place.

Downsizing of machine elements and thinner lubricating oils, with simultaneous improved power density, is an on-going pursuit in automotive industry and lubrication science. The outcome is shifting the performance of e.g. gear contacts to operate under more severe lubricating regimes. In extension, this sets the role of surface finish in the view of increased importance since roughness amplitude in combination with thin films generally is considered to activate surface degradation mechanisms such as wear, fatigue, and ultimately machine failure. Thus, in order to meet the present demands, it is of critical importance to better understand the interplay between surface roughness and elastohydrodynamic oil film (EHL) formation.

Recently, our research [1] has shown that the default model [2] for estimation of lubrication quality strongly deviates from the supposed proportional relationship between film thickness and composite surface roughness (). Thus, with the present approach, false assumptions about lubrication quality are possible. An adequately run-inned surface may operate under elasto-hydrodynamic performance even at such conditions when  suggests substantial contact interference. The latter suggest that the more detrimental opposite situation also would be possible under a certain surface roughness configuration. This research was therefore set out as part of a long term goal of improving the present engineering design tool so that better and more safe estimates of the lubrication quality can be made.

This work explores the mechanisms involved in the formation of an elasto-hydrodynamic (EHD) oil film under heavily loaded mixed rolling/sliding operation of circular contacts. A WAM ball-on-disc machine was operated under conditions representative for those found in heavy duty transmission assemblies. Specimens were prepared with isotropic engineering surface finishes to capture the effect of roughness amplitude on the contacts capability to form a protective EHD film. Electrical contact resistance (ECR) and the coefficient of friction was monitored during running-in tests to reveal how surface roughness affects the number of cycles to EHL lift-off, and the associated response to friction. Specific emphasis was set out to investigate what changes surface topographies must undergo in order to reach a steady state in EHL when starting in mixed lubrication. A surface-re-location technique was developed to enable for detailed examination of the most active sites that typically involve the most prominent asperity features. Surface analysis was conducted with the aim of clarifying the importance to lubrication quality of parameters from all families, i.e. spatial, feature and hybrid parameters in addition to the present approach that only accounts for the surfaces height by root-mean-square-average (RMS/). A strong correlation between friction change and the modification of surface topography was found as the contact went through the running-in process for EHL lift-off. Additionally, it was observed that surface roughness still significantly affect the coefficient of friction at EHL steady state operation.

[1]      Hansen J, Björling M, Larsson R. Mapping of the lubrication regimes in rough surface EHL contacts. Tribol Int 2018. doi:10.1016/j.triboint.2018.11.015.

[2]      ISO/TR 15144-1:2014. Calculation of micropitting load capacity of cylindrical spur and helical gears. Geneva: n.d.

A ball-on-disc machine was employed in a highly idealised setting to study the interplay between oil film formation and surface irregularities in single-sided rough elasto-hydrodynamic lubricated (EHL) conjunctions. The tests were operated under GPa pressures and high slide-to-roll ratios in a situation where the separating gap was smaller than the combined surface roughness height. Under the initial state of solid contact interference and with the operating conditions held fixed, surfaces were found to gradually conform such that a fully separating oil film of nanometre thickness eventually developed—a thin film lubrication state known as micro-EHL. Additionally, with a previously developed approach for 3D surface re-location analysis, we were able to very precisely specify the pertained nature of surface transformations, even at the asperity scale, by comparing the post-test surfaces to those in the virgin state. The surface roughness Sq was reduced by up to 17% after running-in, while the speed required for full film EHL was reduced by a remarkable 90%. Hence, full film EHL is possible even in cases where the Λ-ratio falsely suggests boundary lubrication. This discrepancy was attributed to the way surfaces are deformed inside the contact, i.e., through the establishment of micro-EHL.

Understanding film formation in rough surface elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) contacts have been an ongoing pursuit in lubrication science for more than half a century. This study furthers that quest by establishing a single combined friction and electrical contact resistance map that forms a clear and comprehensive overview of the lubrication performance. A ball-on-disc machine was operated under a wide variety of heavily loaded rolling/sliding contact conditions. Results show that while sweeping the contact over the SRR- and entrainment speed-domain, the primary sweep direction significantly affects running-in and consequently the transition from full-film to the mixed lubrication regime. Such knowledge sheds new light into the mechanisms that governs EHL film formation and the concurrent interplay with the mixed lubricated friction coefficient.

The pumping and churning losses in transmission assemblies are minimized when gears are operated in low viscosity lubricants. Therefore, in order to improve gear efficiency, it is of crucial importance to gain knowledge about the underlying mechanism that governs elastohydrodynamic (EHL) contacts ability to form a separating oil film. This study was set out to explore the necessary requirements for EHL contacts to achieve a state of full film separation. A ball on disc device, arranged for electrical contact resistance (ECR) measurement, was operated under a wide variety of heavily loaded rolling/sliding conditions. Friction and ECR-signal were simultaneously monitored to capture the contact performance until surfaces achieved lift-off by adequate surface modification due to running-in. Special emphasis was set on post-test surface analysis to reveal whether any surface roughness parameter could provide insights in the pre-requisite for surface lift to take place.

A ball-on-disc machine was operated under conditions relevant to heavily loaded gears. Various levels of isotropic surface finishes were evaluated to reveal the influence on elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). Stribeck tests were conducted for insight about roughness effects in all regimes, whereas lift-off tests were conducted to investigate the influence on running-in. A 3D surface re-location approach was developed to enable studies of the topography on exactly the same area before and after test. This helps to find asperity level details about how topographies must transform to allow a shift from the mixed- and boundary lubrication regimes, into the full film micro-EHL regime. The micro-conformity was highlighted to play a key-role for EHL lift-off that precedes the completion of running-in.

Lubricant performance is vital as heavy-duty gear manufacturers increase power density in their efforts towards increased efficiency. In this work, a recently developed ionic liquid is introduced as a multifunction additive for use in hydrocarbon base fluid. A ball-on-disc tribological test machine was used to evaluate friction and wear in heavily loaded mixed rolling/sliding conditions. The novel multifunctional additive is benchmarked against conventional axle-gear oil additives, and results shows excellent tribological performance in terms of friction and wear. Post-test surface analysis of the wear scars revealed a silicate based tribofilm derived from the novel ionic additive, contrary to conventional phosphorous and/or sulfur based. The silicate tribofilm is correlated to a significantly increased wear resistance and vastly improved running-in performance.