Solid Film Lubricants And Their Benefits

Solid Film Lubricants

Under the existing conditions of lubrication, the viscometric features of a lubricant are formulated by the base oil. By segregating the machine surfaces in a relative motion, it develops a firm thickness. There are bound to be boundary conditions in the majority of mechanical interactions. Though in some cases, the surface could be under a lot of load, and if there is not a lot of relative speed, this is not going to allow a sufficient film thickness to develop as the machine surfaces interact abrasively. In such conditions, wear-control and friction additives would impart film strength for a different form of protection than what exists at the surface level. It goes on to include chemical additives.

An overview of solid film lubricants

If the loads are high where the relative motion of a sliding surface is at its lower end, an advantage provided by solid film lubricants is that they offer an extra layer of protection. When there is a low start-up friction for mechanical movements, the selection of solid lubricants occurs. Every solid lubricant is known to work in a unique way of its own.

Additives in the form of molybdenum disulfide or graphite are composed of inorganic compounds incorporated with a molecular structure that adheres to a machine surface. Such structures are known to develop layered lattices that facilitate taking place among the slides in an easy manner. Such layers are comprised of strong molecular bonds, but between the layers there can be weak Waals forces resulting in slip planes.

Factors like temperature and water vapour may have a role to play as well. A solid film lubricant reduces the possibility of fictional interactions present on the machine surfaces and encourages relative motion to emerge at the slip plane of an additive structure. There are other types of solid lubricant that include borate and PTFE. The former is referred to as Teflon and is resistant to a low coefficient of friction.

Even solid lubricants have a role to play in the formulation phase of a liquid lubricant. A lot of them can work in the form of a dry independent lubricant. If their formulation occurs with a liquid lubricant, concentration levels associated with a solid lubricant have to be implemented carefully to maintain a homogenous dispersion.

When low hydrodynamic loading conditions or extreme pressure exist, solid lubricants tend to provide advantages. An example could be gear drives that have low speeds and high loads, which are some of the common applications with solid additives. But be aware that the benefits associated with solid additives are not something that is limited to high pressure. In the right conditions solid lubricants may limit the benefits of boundary conditions.