Effects of Aryl Phosphate Ester Lubricant Additives on Crack Growth in Soda-Lime Glass

Abstract

The growth of cone cracks in soda-lime glass during static loading with a spherical indenter shows that crack growth is accelerated at low energy release rates (low crack velocity) by tricresyl phosphate. Other aryl phosphate ester lubricant additive mixtures that contain predominantly larger molecules, as well as a synthetic hydrocarbon oil formulated with one of the mixtures, do not show enhancement of crack growth. Although reactivity in a test with static load can predict reactivity in a cyclically loaded test, lack of reactivity in a static test may not predict lack of reactivity in a cyclic test. Comparative tests with neat hydrocarbon oil and formulated oil under the same cyclically loaded conditions are needed to definitively determine whether the additives that are unreactive in these static tests influence crack growth in a bearing.