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Effects of woven liners treated by LaCl3 or CeO2 solution on film formation mechanisms of self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearings

Ming Qiu (School of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China)
Yanwei Miao (School of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China)
Yingchun Li (School of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China)
Long Chen (School of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China)
Rensong Hu (School of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China)
Jianjun Lu (School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China)

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology

ISSN: 0036-8792

Article publication date: 11 April 2016

220

Abstract

Purpose

The fabric self-lubricating liners are the key factors impacting the performances of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings. The purpose of this paper is to improve the friction and wear properties of self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearings by modification of the liners.

Design/methodology/approach

The liners of hybrid woven PTFE/Kevlar fabrics were treated respectively by the LaCl3 and CeO2 solutions. The tribological properties of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings with treated or untreated liners under continuous swaying conditions were investigated with the bearing tester at the swaying frequency of 2.5 Hz and the swaying angle of ±10°. The film formation and wear mechanisms were analyzed based on the observation of worn surfaces with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS).

Findings

Results show that the tribological properties of the bearings treated by the LaCl3 or CeO2 solution were improved compared with those of the untreated bearings. In particular, the wear resistance of bearings treated by the CeO2 solution was remarkably improved under higher swaying cycles, but the anti-friction properties and cooling effects of bearings treated by the LaCl3 solution were better under lower swaying cycles. Through SEM analysis, the reasons were analyzed. The bearings with treated liners only produced slight adhesive and abrasive wear, but the bearings with untreated liners produced more serious adhesive and abrasive wear under higher swaying cycles.

Originality/value

The paper proposed a new pretreatment process for the self-lubricating liners. The investigation on the friction and wear behaviors of the bearings is beneficial for prolonging the service lives of the radial spherical plain bearings.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51275155), Outstanding Youth Fund Projects of Henan Province (No. 114100510002) and Innovation and Research Team of Science and Technology in Universities in Henan Province (No. 13IRTSTHN025).

Citation

Qiu, M., Miao, Y., Li, Y., Chen, L., Hu, R. and Lu, J. (2016), "Effects of woven liners treated by LaCl3 or CeO2 solution on film formation mechanisms of self-lubricating radial spherical plain bearings", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 68 No. 3, pp. 308-314. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-04-2015-0048

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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