Fresh Ideas for Lubricants, Thinking Out of the Box
Presented by Lois Gschwender
US Air Force Research Laboratory

This presentation discussed new and novel lubricants including Perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPAE), Multiply Alkylated Cyclopentane (MAC), Silahydrocarbon (SiHC) and some solid coatings.

Synthetic lubricants are replacing mineral oils because of their lower volatility and better low temperature performance.  PFPAE fluids are the best liquids regarding viscosity temperature properties (can be used to -54oC and lower) and low volatility, but can only be used a low loads and may cause tribocorrosion.  MAC fluids have many attractive properties, but are limited to -40oC.  SiHCs have excellent low volatility and can be used to -54oC.  Some extended bearing tests with these lubricants have been successfully conducted at ITT and Lockheed, but long term results are pending.

A filtered-arc TiCN coating process has had very promising results in bench tests at Wright-Patterson and UES, Inc. under Air Force contracts.  See the presentation charts for more details on these new lubricant materials.

For more information about the US Air Force Research Laboratory, see the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base web site.

Pennzane is being used more and more in spacecraft and has many advantages
over mineral oils or perfluoropolyalkylether oils.

Viscosity index is an indication of the fluid's liquid temperature range.
The higher the number the larger the temperature range.

Shows a super critical fluid chromatogram of a silahydrocarbon fluid.
It is essentially unimolecular.

Shows T1/2, as described in slide 12, of several space lubricants.

Shows a twin disk traction (torque) profile for three space lubricants.

Shows viscosity temperature properties for silahydrocarbon and Pennzane lubricants.

Shows wear rates for different space lubricants in vacuum 4-ball testers.

Shows results of Spin Orbit Tribometer tester at NASA Glenn for various space lubricants.

Torque readout of tester explained above showing smooth running of silahydrocarbon oil.

Torque readout of tester explained above showing smooth running of silahydrocarbon oil.

Favorable results from hard coatings on steel surfaces.


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