Influence of the Heat Transfer Field on Anomalous Lubricant Film Formation in Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication Conditions

Abstract

The in uence of the heat transfer eld on anomalous lm formation under elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) conditions was studied. Liquid lubricant lm shapes between a transparent disc and steel ball friction pair were investigated by white light optical interferometry. 1-Dodecanol was used as the representative lubricant to develop anomalous lm shapes. A sapphire disc and glass disc, which have different thermal conductivities, were used as the transparent bounding surface. The heat transfer eld signi cantly in uenced the formation of anomalous lm shapes. The anomalous lm shapes approximated the shape of a conventional EHL lm with increasing ambient temperature. However, a thickened part of the lubricant lm remained, although the phase diagram of 1-dodecanol suggested it to be in the liquid state.