Non-Newtonian Effects on Film Formation in Grease-Lubricated Radial Lip Seals

Abstract

In existing models, the only lubricant property used for predicting film thickness in radial lip seals is the (base) oil viscosity. Lubricating greases show non-Newtonian behavior, and additional normal stress components develop that may contribute to the load-carrying capacity. This study investigates the shear rheology of greases and determines whether this “normal stress effect” in grease can significantly contribute to film formation in radial lip seals. First, the rheological behavior of grease is studied in a rotary plate–plate rheometer at small gaps of 25–500 μ m up to shear rates of 5 · 10 4 s −1 . The rheology measurements are used for a rheology model that predicts the first normal stress difference in the grease. Second, a seal lip model was developed to predict the lift force generated by the normal stress effect that separates the seal from the shaft. The model results show that the load-carrying capacity depends very much on the operating conditions: lip geometry, speed, and temperature. The model predicts a lift force that is over 50% of the seal specific lip force for low-contact pressure-bearing seals. The model can easily be used in existing oil seal models and makes it possible to optimize seal design by utilizing the normal stress effect.