Wear characteristics and life extension mechanism of Ti3C2 MXenes nano-lubricated airframe rolling bearings

Abstract

Under extreme working conditions, airframe rolling bearings are likely to suffer from weakening bearing capacity and fatigue failure due to excessive temperature and poor lubrication. These weaknesses are expected to be improved by using two-dimensional layered nanomaterials MXenes, which exhibit excellent lubrication performance, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. In this study, Ti3C2 MXenes is added into the lubricating grease of airframe rolling bearings. The friction coefficient and temperature rise comparison tests of rolling bearings lubricated with the MXene additives lubricating grease (MALG) and original lubricating grease (OLG) are carried out on the high-performance rolling bearing comprehensive test rig. The wear morphologies of rolling bearings lubricated with MALG and OLG under the same working condition are compared by a white light interferometer. The wear characteristics and life extension mechanism of MXene nano-lubricated airframe rolling bearing are analyzed. The results show that MALG can effectively reduce the friction coefficient and suppress the temperature rise of bearings compared to OLG. Meanwhile, MALG demonstrates superior anti-wear properties compared to OLG under extreme conditions. Notably, under the condition of 2000 rpm, 6KN and 20% grease filling volume, compared to the rolling bearing lubricated with OLG, the friction coefficient, temperature rise and wear areas of those with MALG are reduced by 18.89%,48.64% and 67.50%, respectively. This study proves the beneficial contribution of MALG in the practical engineering application of bearings, which provide valuable reference for extending the service life of aerospace bearings under extreme conditions.