Experimental method for wear assessment of sealing elastomers

Elastomeric dynamic seals are components to prevent or to limit lubricant leakage in machinery. Nevertheless, they wear away under certain working conditions. Mostly, wear exists by starvation of lubricant film (two-body abrasion) and interaction with hard debris (three-body abrasion). This work aims to propose a suitable test methodology toward determining two-body and three-body abrasive wear rates of elastomers by using a TE66 Micro-Scale Abrasion Tester. In the tests, sections of silicone rubber were used. The experiments were divided in two parts. Firstly, dry runs were carried out replicating the two–body abrasion mechanism. Secondly, trials were run using two different media (contaminated oil and slurry) to reproduce three-body abrasive wear. Large viscoelastic deformations were generated in the samples and then they were considered for the wear estimation. In conclusion, the method shows advantages which make it suitable as an alternative test to obtain the wear behavior of sealing elastomers.     

SEM study of worn surface morphology of an indigenous ‘EPDM’ rubber

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber emerges as a dominant elastomer for major engineering applications like automobiles, constructions, electric and electronic industries and many more. The major engineering properties of EPDM are its outstanding heat, ozone and weather resistance ability. The resistance to polar substances and steam is also good. EPDM rubber has a common use as seals in automobiles.In the present work friction and sliding wear behaviors of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubbers (EPDM) of different hardness have been studied against steel counterpart under dry working condition. Different hardness of EPDM have been achieved by adding different proportion (parts per hundred) of carbon black (CB) content with the main ingredients of EPDM. Tribo-testing has been carried out in a multi tribo-tester (Ducom, India). EPDM rubber of different hardness like 55 Å, 70 Å and 85 Å has been slid against EN-8 stainless steel roller of the tester. Experiments have been conducted with different rotational speeds of the wheel at a constant load of 25N for a constant duration of 900 s. The coefficient of friction (COF), mass loss and wear of EPDM rubbers have been determined from the test data. The worn surface morphology has also been studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and concluded accordingly.Present experimental work attempts to highlight some important tribo-characteristics of an indigenous EPDM rubber as well as to shed light on various possible areas of further research works.     

Tribological behavior of polyurethane-based composite coating reinforced with TiO2 nanotubes

The unmodified and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) modified TiO₂ nanotubes, were used for fabricating TiO₂ nanotubes (TiNTs)/polyurethane (PU) composite coating. The effects of applied load and sliding speed on the tribological behavior of the composite coating were investigated using a block-on-ring wear tester. Compared to the TiO₂ nanotubes filled PU composite coating, the HDI modified TiO₂ nanotubes (TiNTs-HDI) filled one had the lower friction coefficient and higher wear life under various applied loads and sliding speed. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigation showed that the TiNTs-HDI filled PU coating had smooth worn surface under given applied load and sliding speed, and a continuous and uniform transfer film formed on the surface of the counterpart ring, which helped to reduce the wear of the coating. The improvement in the tribological properties of TiNTs-HDI/PU composite coating might due to an improvement in interfacial adhesion between TiNTs and PU after HDI treatment. The strong interfacial coupling of the composite coating made TiNTs-HDI not easy to detach from the PU matrix, and prevented the rubbing-off of PU composite coating, accordingly improved the friction and wear properties of the composite coating.     

Surface potential and resistance measurements for detecting wear of chemically-bonded and unbonded molecularly-thick perfluoropolyether lubricant films using atomic force microscopy

The wear of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricants applied on Si(100) and an Au film on Si(100) substrate at ultralow loads was investigated by using atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based surface potential and resistance measurements. Surface potential data is used in detecting lubricant removal and the initiation of wear on the silicon substrate. The surface potential change is attributed to the change in the work function of the silicon after wear, and electrostatic charge build-up of debris in the lubricant. It was found that coatings that are partially bonded, i.e., containing a mobile lubricant fraction, were better able to protect the silicon substrate from wear compared to the fully bonded coating. This enhanced protection is attributed to a lubricant replenishment mechanism. However, an untreated lubricant coating exhibited considerable wear as it contains a smaller amount of lubricant bonded to the substrate relative to the partially bonded and fully bonded coatings. A sample subjected to shear is shown to have improved wear resistance, and this enhancement is attributed to chain reorientation and alignment of the lubricant molecules. The detection of wear of PFPE lubricants on Au by an AFM-based resistance measurement method is demonstrated for the first time. This technique provides complementary information to surface potential data in detecting substrate exposure after wear and is a promising method for studying the wear of conducting films.     

Preparation and Tribological Behaviors of Lubricants—Oil Based on Modified Microbial Oil with Nano-Schiff Base Copper Complex

A W/O microemulsion reactor was used to prepare four kinds of modified lubricants: (i) modified lubricant 1, modified epoxidized microbial oil + rape oil in volume ratio of 1:1; (ii) modified lubricant 2, modified esterified microbial oil + rape oil in volume ratio of 1:3; (iii) modified lubricant 3, modified epoxidized rape oil; and (iv) modified lubricant 4, modified PAO. The individual modified lubricants were further modified with 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% content of nano-Schiff base copper complex (nano-SBCC). A microtribometer was used to evaluate the friction coefficient between ball/flat point contacts immersed in the modified lubricants and operated in reciprocating and linear sliding mode. A comparison of the values of the friction coefficient with the lubricants further modified with nano-SBCC with those of their individual 0% nano-SBCC counterparts indicated significant decrease: (i) almost 19.18% was obtainable for the modified lubricant 1 with 2% of nano-Schiff base copper complex, (ii) almost 16.5% was obtainable for the modified lubricant 2 with 0.5% of nano-Schiff base copper complex; (iii) almost 7.42% was obtainable for the modified lubricant 3 with 1% of nano-SBCC; and (iv) almost 7.01% was obtainable for the modified lubricant 4 with 0.5% of nano-SBCC. These suggested that the addition of nano-Schiff base copper complex can efficiently decrease the friction coefficient of epoxidized or esterified microbial oil. Analyses of two-dimensional images, average profiles (across the mid-section y = 0 of the reciprocating sliding path), and three-dimensional topographies by confocal white light microscope for the worn surfaces of flats immersed in modified lubricant 1 and modified lubricant 2 suggested better wear-resistance of the modified lubricant 2 than that of the modified lubricant 1. The ability of wear resistance for the modified lubricant became better with the increasing content of nano-Schiff base copper complex from 0% to 2%. The study revealed the modification of epoxidized microbial oil + rape oil (1:1 volume ratio) and esterified microbial oil + rape oil (1:3 volume ratio) with Cu(II) chelate of bis(salicylaldehyde)ethylenediamine, reducing the magnitude of friction and wear because of their respective wear self-repairing ability. Such self-repairing ability furnishes the suitability of epoxidized microbial oil or esterified microbial oil to be effectively modified by nano-Schiff base copper complex and to substitute ordinary base oil as a mixture with rape oil.     

水溶性有机磷酸酯润滑剂的制备

水溶性有机磷酸酯润滑剂的制备;摩擦学性能     

Viscoelastic modeling of extrusion damage in elastomer seals

ABSTRACT

The viscoelastic behavior of elastomers manifests itself in numerous ways depending on the application. In seals, the viscoelastic response of an elastomer is complex as it depends upon the specific combination of loading pressures, loading rates, chemical environment, temperature and time of loading, and ultimately long-term effects such as creep or stress relaxation can result in seal failure. One specific mechanism encountered in seals under large pressures is extrusion damage. When a seal is pressurized by a fluid, the elastomer is highly constrained; however, there is typically a very small gap between the inner and outer sealing surfaces. Over time viscoelastic creep causes the elastomer to gradually extrude into this gap until the seal ruptures. In this paper the viscoelastic creep behavior of a typical sealing elastomer, NBR, was studied. Compression creep tests were carried out over a range of strains and the measured data were used to develop a strain-dependent viscoelastic material model. The model was then implemented into a finite element analysis (FEA) simulation to study the extrusion creep behavior of an O-Ring seal. Data from the FEA model were then compared against physical test data from equivalent extrusion tests. The FEA model correlated well to the physical test data, with the strain-dependent viscoelastic material model allowing compression creep data to be used to accurately predict extrusion creep.     

摩擦磨损试验机模拟活塞环-缸套摩擦行为的功能开发

参考活塞环-缸套的实际运行条件,结合SRV-4摩擦磨损试验机自身的性能特点和工作原理,通过开发设计,增加合理的硬件及软件测试条件,实现摩擦磨损试验机模拟活塞环-缸套摩擦行为的功能.系统测试结果表明：功能开发后的摩擦磨损试验机可在较短时间内获得活塞环-缸套摩擦副性能优劣的试验数据,满足快速、直观评价活塞环-缸套的摩擦磨损性能的需要,在活塞环-缸套摩擦副研究中具有重要的应用价值.     

Method for the evaluation of elastomeric seals by compression stress relaxation

A method is described whereby elastomer O-ring performance can be evaluated by compression stress relaxation in a simulated gas turbine lubrication system. The O-ring retained sealing force is measured in real-time during high temperature ageing and during transients to lower temperatures, thus simulating the temperature regimes experienced in an operational gas turbine. In addition to this, the O-rings are exposed to a flow of realistically aged turbine lubricant, producing a realistic level of chemical degradation during testing. The results from this work have demonstrated significant differences between elastomer behaviour due to O-ring material and also due to the temperature regimes subjected to during compression stress relaxation. Taken as a whole, this work represents a considerable improvement on current elastomer O-ring test methods as applied to gas turbine lubricant system seals.     

Effects of UV irradiation on tribological properties of nano‐TiO2 thin films

One‐layer and two‐layer nano‐TiO₂ thin films were prepared on the surface of common glass by sol–gel processing. Water contact angle, surface morphology, tribological properties of the films before and after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation were investigated using DSA100 drop shape analyzer, scanning probe microscopy (SPM), SEM and universal micro‐materials tester (second generation) (UMT‐2MT) friction and wear tester, respectively. The stored films markedly resumed their hydrophilicity after UV irradiation. But UV irradiation worsened tribological properties of the films. After the film was irradiated by UV, the friction coefficient between the film and GCr15 steel ball increased about 10–50% and its wear life shortened about 20–90%. Abrasive wear, brittle break and adherence wear are the failure mechanisms of nano‐TiO₂ thin films. It was believed that UV irradiation increased surface energy of the film and then aggravated adherence wear of the film at initial stage of friction process leading to severe brittle fracture and abrasive wear. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative study of the effects of nano‐sized and micro‐sized CF and PTFE on the thermal and tribological properties of PEEK composites

The tribological characteristics of PEEK composites fretting against GCr 15 steel were investigated by a SRV‐IV oscillating reciprocating ball‐on‐disk tribometer. In order to clarify the effect of type and size of fillers on the properties of PEEK composites, nano‐sized and micro‐sized CF and PTFE fillers were added to the PEEK matrix. The thermal conductivity, hardness, and fretting wear properties of PEEK composites reinforced by CF or PTFE were comparatively studied. The results showed that the type and size of the fillers have an important effect on both the friction coefficient and wear rate, by affecting their thermal conductivity, hardness, as well as the surface areas of their transfer films. In comparison, the effect on improving the tribological properties of micro‐sized CF was superior to that of nano‐sized CF, while the effect of nano‐sized PTFE was superior to that of micro‐sized PTFE. Considering the acceptable friction coefficient and wear rate of the composite under the fretting wear test, it seemed that 4% nCF, 20% mCF, 2% nPTFE and 10% mPTFE were desired additive proportions. And it also can be found that during the fretting wear test, the abrasive and adhesive wear resulted in accumulative debris at the contacting surface. The transfer films made of debris were formed on the counterfaces.     

The influence of anti‐wear additive ZDDP on doped and undoped diamond‐like carbon coatings

Diamond‐like carbon (DLC) coatings are recognised as a promising way to reduce friction and improve wear performance of automotive engine components. DLC coatings provide new possibilities in the improvement of the tribological performance of automotive components beyond what can be achieved with lubricant design alone. Lubricants are currently designed for metallic surfaces, the tribology of which is well defined and documented. DLC does not share this depth of tribological knowledge; thus, its practical implementation is stymied. In this work, three DLC coatings are tested: an amorphous hydrogenated DLC, a silicone‐doped amorphous hydrogenated DLC and a tungsten‐doped amorphous hydrogenated DLC. The three coatings are tested tribologically on a pin‐on‐reciprocating plate tribometer against a cast iron pin in a group III base oil, and a fully formulated oil that consists of a group III base oil and contains ZDDP, at 100 °C for 6 h and for 20 h in order to determine whether a phosphor‐based tribofilm is formed at the contact. The formation of a tribofilm is characterised using atomic force microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The main findings of this study are the formation of a transfer film at the undoped, amorphous hydrogenated DLC surface, and also the tungsten amorphous hydrogenated DLC having a significant wear removal during the testing. The three coatings were found to have differing levels of wear, with the tungsten‐doped DLC showing the highest, the silicon‐doped DLC showing some coating removal and the amorphous hydrogenated DLC showing only minimal signs of wear. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

自动安全甲基紫试验仪的性能试验

介绍自动安全甲基紫试验仪的性能试验方法及试验过程。自动安全甲基紫试验仪由金属恒温浴、机械手、控制系统等构成。控制系统不但可以控制机械手、恒温浴,还可通过传感器感知、记录试纸颜色变化,监测试验过程。用该自动试验仪测试某双基和三基火药的化学安定性,与非自动甲基紫试验装置检测结果一致,重复性优于旧装置。自动安全甲基紫试验仪可有效保障操作人员的人身安全,保证检测结果的准确度,可用于测试硝酸酯火药及硝化棉的化学安定性。     

基于USB接口的有机涂层耐蚀性能快速测试仪

根据多重动电位扫描极化的原理,研制了一种基于USB接口的有机涂层/金属体系耐蚀性能快速测试仪.该仪器便携、简易、实用,有强数据采集和处理功能,不仅可用于实验室的快速实验,更适用于在工业现场对有机涂层/金属体系耐蚀性能快速测试和评价.     

Leakage behaviour of elastomer seals under dynamic unloading conditions at low temperatures

In technical applications, static seals are sometimes also subjected to dynamic loadings. Therefore, the leakage behaviour under dynamic conditions has to be evaluated as well. For this purpose, FKM elastomer seals have been tested by using newly designed equipment that allows for rapid partial release of the seal and simultaneous leakage rate measurement at a wide range of test temperatures. Furthermore, material characterisation was done by using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Compression Set. It was shown that, under static conditions, the leakage rate increased significantly during cooling at temperatures around 18 K lower than the glass transition range. On reheating, the seal's functionality was restored in the high temperature region of the glass rubber transition. In the subsequent dynamic release tests, that comprised a reduction of the seal compression within 1 s from 25% to 23%, increased leakage rates were observed in the high temperature region of the glass transition range. It was shown that the temperature that is critical for increased leakage is significantly lower under static conditions compared to dynamic conditions. The obtained leakage rates for static tests and dynamic release tests at different temperatures were analysed with reference to results of the material characterisation.     

The tribological performance of fullerene‐like hydrogenated carbon films under ionic liquid lubrication

Fullerene‐like hydrogenated carbon films were deposited on Si substrate by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The microstructures of films were characterized by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectrum. The tribological performance of films was tested by reciprocating ball‐on‐disc tester under 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid. The surface morphology and chemical composition of wear tracks and wear rates were investigated by optical microscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and 3D surface profiler. The results indicated that the film with a typical fullerene‐like structure embedded into the amorphous sp² and sp³ carbon networks could be prepared successfully, and the film shows a higher hardness (26.7 GPa) and elastic recovery (89.9%) compared with the amorphous carbon film. Furthermore, the film shows a lower friction coefficient at low contact load and friction frequency, and excellent wear‐resistance performance at high load and frequency under ionic liquid lubrication. Meanwhile, the wear life of fullerene‐like hydrogenated carbon films could be improved significantly using ionic liquid as a lubrication material. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of ricinoleate anion based ionic liquids and their application as green lubricating oil additives

Ricinoleate anion based ionic liquids (ILs) were synthesized from four different nitrogen containing cationic counterparts such as tetrabutylammonium, tetrapropylammonium, cetyltrimethylammonium, imidazolium. Tribological performance of synthesized ILs were evaluated using four ball tribo tester by blending with two lubricant base oils namely epoxy2-ethylhexyl esters of karanja fatty acids (EKE) and dioctyl sebacate (DOS). Antiwear behaviour was explored by varying different factors including concentration, applied load and rotation speed. It was found that the synthesized ILs in base oil significantly reduced the wear scar diameter by 17–25% at 0.8 wt% and a remarkable reduction in wear scar diameter was observed for all the tested applied load (40 to 80 kg) and rotation speed (1200 to 1742 rpm). Further, the load carrying capacity of base oil was improved by 25–43% at 1.25 wt% of IL dosage. The imidazolium cation containing IL outperform tribological performance among all the ILs being studied. The morphology of worn surface after the wear tests and deposition of elementals on the worn surface lubricated with neat base oil and IL blended base oil was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).     

Oil‐Soluble Polymer Brush Grafted Nanoparticles as Effective Lubricant Additives for Friction and Wear Reduction

The development of high performance lubricants has been driven by increasingly growing industrial demands and environmental concerns. Herein, we demonstrate oil‐soluble polymer brush‐grafted inorganic nanoparticles (hairy NPs) as highly effective lubricant additives for friction and wear reduction. A series of oil‐miscible poly(lauryl methacrylate) brush‐grafted silica and titania NPs were synthesized by surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. These hairy NPs showed exceptional stability in poly(alphaolefin) (PAO) base oil; no change in transparency was observed after being kept at ?20, 22, and 100 °C for ≥55 days. High‐contact stress ball‐on‐flat reciprocating sliding tribological tests at 100 °C showed that addition of 1 wt % of hairy NPs into PAO led to significant reductions in coefficient of friction (up to ≈40 %) and wear volume (up to ≈90 %). The excellent lubricating properties of hairy NPs were further elucidated by the characterization of the tribofilm formed on the flat. These hairy NPs represent a new type of lubricating oil additives with high efficiency in friction and wear reduction.     

AFM-based nanotribological and electrical characterization of ultrathin wear-resistant ionic liquid films

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered as lubricants for micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) due to their excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. So far, only macroscale friction and wear tests have been conducted on these materials. Evaluating the nanoscale tribological performance of ILs when applied as a few nanometers-thick film on a substrate is a crucial step to understand how these novel materials can efficiently lubricate MEMS/NEMS devices. To this end, the adhesion, friction and wear properties of two ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium octyl sulfate (BMIM-OctSO4), applied on Si(100), are investigated for the first time using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Data is compared to the perfluoropolyether lubricant Z-TETRAOL, which has high thermal stability and extremely low vapor pressure. Wear at ultralow loads was simulated and the lubricant removal mechanism was investigated using AFM-based surface potential and contact resistance techniques. Thermally treated coatings containing a mobile lubricant fraction (i.e., partially bonded) were better able to protect the Si substrate from wear compared to the fully bonded coatings, and this enhanced protection is attributed to lubricant replenishment.     

Volume shrinkage and abrasive wear properties of crosslinked Poly(ester-urethane-acrylate)/MMA copolymer: Effect of chain length

The current study deals with the preparation of novel crosslink transparent poly(ester-urethane-acrylate)/methyl methacrylate (TPEUMA) copolymers and the effect of hydroxyl terminated aromatic polyester (PEs) was also investigated. The properties of TPEUMA were investigated in terms of double bond concentration, polymerization shrinkage, abrasive wear analysis and chemical resistance. The volume shrinkage decreased due to the significant reduction in the concentration of double bonds. The first two effects reflect in lowering the abrasive wear resistance properties at room temperature, while the larger chain length between crosslink decreases the hardness. Decrease in polymerization shrinkage shows more condensed microstructure which was revealed by the abrasive wear rate of TPEUMAs due to hydrogen bonding near to crosslink point. Increase in the chain length of PEs, decreases the glass transition temperature of TPEUMA copolymer which results in loose microstructure. Worn surface were studied using scanning electron microscope to give insight on the wear mechanism of TPEUMA crosslink. It can be suggested from the present study that this copolymer can be used for a broad range of optical applications.