The use of solid ceramic and ceramic hard-coated components to prolong the performance of perfluoropolyalkylether lubricants

Abstract

The performance of perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPE) oils under boundary lubrication conditions was tested using 440C stainless steel, silicon nitride/440C hybrid, and titanium nitride hard-coated ball-bearing components. By limiting the chemical interactions between the lubricant and iron, the performance was extended by a factor of 5–10 using the ceramic materials instead of 440C components. The maximum performance enhancememt for the PFPE oils under our test conditions was limited by thermal degradation at the high temperatures generated in the asperity contact region.