There is growing interest in reducing friction in lubricated machine components to thereby increase the energy efficiency of machines. One important way to minimise friction is to employ friction modifier additives to reduce friction in thin film boundary lubrication conditions. There are currently three main types of friction modifier additive, organic friction modifiers, oil soluble organomolybdenum friction modifiers and functionalised polymers. In common practice, a single such additive is generally employed in a formulated lubricant, but it is of interest to explore whether combinations of two friction modifier additives may prove beneficial. In this study, the performance of eight commercial friction modifier additives spanning all three main types was first measured in three quite different friction tests. The aim was to identify the contact conditions under which each additive was most effective. Additive solutions in both a base oil and a formulated engine oil were investigated. In general, functionalised polymers were most beneficial in sliding-rolling contacts, while oil soluble organomolybdenum friction modifiers worked best in severe, reciprocating sliding conditions. However, all friction modifier additive response was strongly affected by the other additives present in formulated engine oils. The friction performance of combinations of friction modifier additives was then explored. When two different friction modifiers additives were combined in solution, several possible outcomes were observed. The most common was for one of the additives to predominate, to give friction that was characteristic of that additive alone, while in some cases friction lay between the values produced by either additive on its own. In a few cases the additives behaved antagonistically so that the combination gave higher friction than either additive by itself. In a few cases true synergy was observed, where a combination of two additives produced lower friction in a given test that either individual component at the same overall concentration. Another, and possibly more important synergy could also occur, however, when a pair of FMs worked more effectively than either individual additive over the range of test conditions present in different friction tests. This study suggests that optimal combinations of FMs may provide a means of reducing boundary friction and thus increasing the efficiency of machines, especially if the latter contain a range of lubricated machine components that operate with different types of tribological contacts.

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Robust, chromium, semi-reflective coatings have been applied to transparent polymethylmethacrylate and polyurethane discs and this has enabled conventional, normal incidence optical interferometry to be used to measure lubricant film thickness in soft EHL conditions for the first time. High quality interferograms comparable to those obtained from coated glass discs are obtained. Measured film thickness has been compared with existing soft EHL film thickness equations obtained using computer modelling and revised central and minimum film thickness equations have been proposed. These film thickness measurements and measurement technique have applicability to our understanding of the performance and design of lubricated gears and bearings manufactured from polymeric materials.

This work investigates the effect on elastohydrodynamic lubrication of roughness ridges oriented along the rolling-sliding direction, such as may be present on rolling bearing raceways. The roughness of the three specimens tested is characterised by the RMS of surface heights and a dominant wavelength. Optical interferometry and a ball-on-disc set-up were employed to map the oil film thickness. The paper first describes a novel procedure to carry out optical interferometry measurements on rough surfaces. Film thickness maps from the central part of the contact were obtained for a range of speeds in pure rolling and rolling-sliding conditions. The evolution of the film distribution with increasing speed along with the in-contact RMS and the real area of contact was calculated. The film maps show that the lift-off speed increases when roughness is introduced compared with smooth surfaces, while the average film thickness remains very close to the smooth case. The general horseshoe film shape that becomes visible at higher speeds is discussed. Using an inverse solution approach based on measured in-contact roughness, the pressure distribution is estimated in a rough, lubricated contact and its evolution with speed is explained. The findings provide important insights into the transition from boundary, through mixed, to full EHL lubrication for longitudinal roughness.

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