Under certain operating conditions, rolling contacts have been shown to experience some challenges when lubricated with engine oils containing zinc dialkyldithophosphate (ZDDP) anti-wear additive. In order to better understand the main damage mechanisms during various operating conditions, further studies are needed. This article studies micro-pitting and wear damages of bearing steel surfaces under mixed lubrication conditions in a ball-on-disc setup, lubricated with different engine oils. Based on the results, micro-pitting and wear damage is shown to be highly case-dependent. In general, PAO-based engine oil tends to eliminate micro-pitting damage compared to mineral-based engine oil at less severe lubricating conditions. Moreover, a critical lambda was found for both oils, where the highest micro-pitting damage was observed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.