Rheological Characterization and Tribological Evaluation of Water-Based Lubricants in AISI 52100 Bearing Steel

This study explores the rheological and tribological behavior of water-based lubricants (WBLs) as potential alternatives for electric vehicle (EV) applications. As the transportation sector increasingly shifts towards EVs to reduce carbon emissions, the demand for efficient lubricants becomes critic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tribology letters 2024-03, Vol.72 (1), p.10, Article 10
Main Authors: Bosch, J., DellaCorte, Christopher
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bearing steels
Chemistry and Materials Science
Coefficient of friction
Corrosion and Coatings
Electric contacts
Electric vehicles
Emissions
Friction reduction
Frictional wear
Glycerol
Lubricants
Lubricants & lubrication
Lubricating oils
Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Original Paper
Physical Chemistry
Polyethylene glycol
Rheological properties
Rheology
Sliding friction
Surfaces and Interfaces
Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Thin Films
Transportation industry
Tribochemistry
Tribology
Viscosity
Wear mechanisms
Wear rate
Wear tests
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study explores the rheological and tribological behavior of water-based lubricants (WBLs) as potential alternatives for electric vehicle (EV) applications. As the transportation sector increasingly shifts towards EVs to reduce carbon emissions, the demand for efficient lubricants becomes critical. WBLs here are defined as fluids containing a minimum of 50 wt% water mixed with glycerol, ethylene glycol (MEG), polyethylene glycol (PEG), or one of two polyalkylene glycols (PAGs). Rheological properties were investigated and compared with traditional lubricating oils. Results demonstrate distinctive rheological characteristics in WBLs, with viscosity–temperature responses resembling traditional oils with lowered pressure–viscosity coefficients. Nevertheless, WBLs exhibit promising film-forming capabilities in highly loaded contacts. Additionally, in sliding contacts, WBLs generally display lower friction coefficients compared to traditional oils, with PEG exhibiting the lowest value near 0.1. These findings suggest that WBLs may offer advantages in reducing friction and energy loss in EV applications. Furthermore, sliding wear tests indicate low wear rates in WBLs such as PEG, PAG, and glycerol, supporting their potential as viable lubrication options. The study highlights the importance of high-pressure rheology and tribochemistry in wear mechanisms among the different lubricants.
ISSN:1023-8883
1573-2711
DOI:10.1007/s11249-023-01811-7