Magnetic head-rigid disk interface hydrodynamically lubricated with a power-law fluid

Abstract

A numerical solution to ultra thin and near-zero-pitch liquid lubrication of magnetic head-rigid disk interfaces for near contact recording is introduced. The non-Newtonian behavior of the liquid lubricant is incorporated into the hydrodynamic lubrication analysis. A power-law model is used to simulate the non-Newtonian behavior of the lubricant. The effects of trailing-edge film thickness, the slider pitch angle, and the power-law exponent on the pressure profile, the load capacity and the coefficient of friction are presented and discussed. The results show that non-Newtonian shear-thinning at high shear rates can significantly reduce the pressure build-up under the rails of the slider. Therefore, a liquid lubricant with special viscosity properties can produce light head loads desirable for near contact magnetic recording devices.