Investigating Lubrication Mechanisms for Silicon Nitride Sliding on Steel: A Multifaceted Study

Abstract

Electric Motors (EMs) containing lubricated bearings must adhere to a variety of operational specifications and related microenvironments. Lubricate products need to perform under these circumstances. The wear and friction of silicon nitride (〖Si〗_3 N_4) sliding over toughened chrome steel (52100) were used to measure the tribological effectiveness of three commercially available EM lubricates. The EM lubricates that were examined and comparable viscosity ratings; however, they differed in the proportions of lithium or poly-urea thickener to mineral or synthetic base oil (BO). A variety of surface roughness (SR) levels and temperatures were measured to observe behaviour under various lubrication regimes. The results made possible to compare commercially available solutions directly across a range of application-relevant standards and the analysis techniques created as a foundation for upcoming research on the efficiency of EM lubricate.