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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Rotor self-lubricating axial stop

A series of lubricating plugs is located in the stationary backup face adjacent to the axial stop face of a rotating impeller mounted in a turbopump for pumping liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen. The stop face and the backup face are those surfaces which engage when the axial load on the impeller exceeds the load balancing capability. The plugs have a truncated conical configuration so as to be trapped in the backup face, and are placed at varying radii on the face to provide complete surface lubrication. The plugs may be formed from Teflon, Kel-F or bronze filled Teflon.

Blount, Dale H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

High temperature solid lubrication by catalytically generated carbon

The wear process in bearings generates a clean active surface. Carbon is known to form readily on catalytic surfaces through the reduction of carbon oxides or hydrocarbon. Carbon, through the adsorption of hydrocarbons, water vapor, or oxygen, becomes an effective lubricant. If these three phenomena can be made to work together, a new concept of high temperature lubrication would be available. This paper presents laboratory investigations towards the development of this concept. Carbon has been successfully produced through catalytic reduction of ethylene on a variety of metallic and ceramic surfaces containing nickel. This carbon has been shown to reduce friction at a sliding interface at elevated temperatures.

Lauer, James L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Polymer Lubricants For Use In Vacuum

Report describes tests of lubricating properties of 10 polymer-based materials - in particular, polyimides - in vacuum. Commercially available materials, in forms of solid bodies and films on metals, were tested on pin-on-disk apparatus in vacuum. Best low-wear, low-friction material was 80 PMDA/20 BTDA solid-body polyimide. Friction and wear properties of most polyimides so good in vacuum that solid-lubricant additives not necessary.

Fusaro, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

CdO Pretreatment For Graphite Lubricant Films

Lubrication of rubbing steel surfaces with graphite improved by sputtering cadmium oxide onto surfaces, according to report. Lubricating films consisting of mixtures of cadmium oxide and graphite did not perform as well as films of graphite alone on surfaces pretreated with cadmium oxide. Primary beneficial effect obtained by sputtering pretreatment with cadmium oxide, which apparently improves bond between metallic substrate and graphite.

Fusaro, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space station long-term lubrication analysis

The objectives of this program are: (1) to perform a complete tribology survey of every point of contact in the space station subject to relative motion regarding the materials, environment, and operation characteristics, (2) to review each point of relative motion regarding the selected materials and lubricants from the standpoint of the required operating characteristics and environmental conditions, (3) to make recommendations for improvements where the lubricants and/or materials are not considered optimum, and (4) to perform or recommend simulated or full-scale tests on components where problems are possible or likely because of new designs, significant design extensions beyond current practice, or sensitivity of other components to problems with a particular point of contact. The project is to be conducted over a 3-year time frame in two phases. Phase 1 will be a preliminary analysis conducted during the preliminary design phases of the Space Station. Phase 2 will be a more detailed analysis conducted during the period when the design becomes more established.

Dufrane, K. F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Tribological properties of PM212: A high-temperature, self-lubricating, powder metallurgy composite

This paper describes a research program to develop and evaluate a new high temperature, self-lubricating powder metallurgy composite, PM212. PM212 has the same composition as the plasma-sprayed coating, PS212, which contains 70 wt percent metal-bonded chromium carbide, 15 wt percent silver and 15 wt percent barium fluoride/calcium fluoride eutectic. The carbide acts as a wear resistant matrix and the silver and fluorides act as low and high temperature lubricants, respectively. The material is prepared by sequential cold press, cold isostatic pressing and sintering techniques. In this study, hemispherically tipped wear pins of PM212 were prepared and slid against superalloy disks at temperatures from 25 to 850 C in air in a pin-on-disk tribometer. Friction coefficients range from 0.29 to 0.38 and the wear of both the composite pins and superalloy disks was moderate to low in the 10(exp -5) to 10(exp -6) cubic mm/N-m range. Preliminary tests indicate that the material has a compressive strength of at least 130 MPa over the entire temperature range of 25 to 900 C. This material has promise for use as seal inserts, bushings, small inside diameter parts and other applications where plasma-sprayed coatings are impractical or too costly.

Dellacorte, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS1990

Experience with synthetic fluorinated fluid lubricants

Since the late 1970's, the wet lubricant of choice for space mechanisms has been one of the family of synthetic perfluoro polyalkylether (PFPE) compounds, namely Fomblin Z-25 (Bray-815Z) or DuPont's Krytox 143xx series. While offering the advantages of extremely low vapor pressures and wide temperature ranges, these oils and derived greases have a complex chemistry compared to the more familiar natural and synthetic hydrocarbons. Many aerospace companies have conducted test programs to characterize the behavior of these compounds in a space environment, resulting in a large body of hard knowledge as well as considerable space lore concerning the suitability of the lubricants for particular applications and techniques for successful application. The facts are summarized and a few myths about the compounds are dispelled, and some performance guidelines for the mechanism design engineer are provided.

Conley, Peter L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Mechanical strength and thermophysical properties of PM212: A high temperature self-lubricating powder metallurgy composite

A powder metallurgy composite, PM212, composed of metal bonded chromium carbide and solid lubricants is shown to be self-lubricating to a maximum application temperature of 900 C. The high temperature compressive strength, tensile strength, thermal expansion and thermal conductivity data needed to design PM212 sliding contact bearings and seals are reported for sintered and isostatically pressed (HIPed) versions of PM212. Other properties presented are room temperature density, hardness, and elastic modulus. In general, both versions appear to have adequate strength to be considered as sliding contact bearing materials, but the HIPed version, which is fully dense, is much stronger than the sintered version which contains about 20 percent pore volume. The sintered material is less costly to make, but the HIPed version is better where high compressive strength is important.

Edwards, Phillip M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Wear characteristics of bonded solid film lubricant under high load condition

Wear properties of phenolic resin bonded molybdenum disulfide film lubricant were studied. In-vacuo journal bearing tests were performed to evaluate the wear-life of this film lubricant. The wear-life depends on substrate materials and on sliding velocity. Pretreated substrate surfaces were examined to reveal the reasons for these results. Additionally, investigations on film wear mechanisms were made.

Hiraoka, Naofumi↗
NASA NTRS1991

Pretreatment of lubricated surfaces with sputtered cadmium oxide

Cadmium oxide is used with a dry solid lubricant on a surface to improve wear resistance. The surface topography is first altered by photochemical etching to a predetermined pattern. The cadmium oxide is then sputtered onto the altered surface to form an intermediate layer to more tightly hold the dry lubricant, such as graphite.

Fusaro, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Tribological properties of PM212 - A high temperature, self-lubricating, powder metallurgy composite

This paper describes a research program to develop and evaluate a new high temperature, self-lubricating powder metallurgy composite, PM212. PM212 has the same composition as the plasma-sprayed coating, PS212, which contains 70 wt percent metal-bonded chromium carbide, 15 wt percent silver and 15 wt percent barium fluoride/calcium fluoride eutectic. The carbide acts as a wear resistant matrix and the silver and fluorides act as low and high temperature lubricants, respectively. The material is prepared by sequential cold press, cold isostatic pressing and sintering techniques. In this study, hemispherically tipped wear pins of PM212 were prepared and slid against superalloy disks at temperatures from 25 to 850 C in air in a pin-on-disk tribometer. Friction coefficients range from 0.29 to 0.38 and the wear of both the composite pins and superalloy disks was moderate to low in the 10(exp -5) to 10(exp -6) cubic mm/N-m range. Preliminary tests indicate that the material has a compressive strength of at least 130 MPa over the entire temperature range of 25 to 900 C. This material has promise for use as seal inserts, bushings, small inside diameter parts and other applications where plasma-sprayed coatings are impractical or too costly.

Dellacorte, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS1991

On the solution of a lubrication problem with particulate solids

The lubrication characteristic of a fluid with solid particles is studied using the continuum theory of mixtures. The governing equations are formulated and appropriate boundary conditions are introduced for an arbitrary-shaped lubricant film thickness. As a special case, closed-form analytical perturbation solutions for pressure and shear stress are obtained for a mixture of a conventional oil and solid particles with small values of solid-volume fraction sheared in the clearance space of an infinitely long slider bearing. It is found that when compared with a pure fluid, the mixture of the fluid and solid generates a higher pressure and therefore a higher load-carrying capacity with the added advantage of a reduction in the coefficient of friction.

Dai, F.↗
NASA NTRS1942

Investigation of lubricants under boundary friction

Numerous observations of such lubrication processes within range of boundary friction on journal bearings and gear tooth profiles have strengthened the supposition that it should be possible to study the attendant phenomena with engineering methods and equipment. These considerations formed the basis of the present studies, which have led to the discovery of relations governing the suitability of bearing surfaces and the concept of "lubricating quality."

Heidebroek, E↗
NASA NTRS1993

Physical and chemical properties of some new perfluoropolyalkylether lubricants prepared by direct fluorination

A series of perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPAE) fluids was synthesized by direct fluorination. Viscosity-temperature properties, oxidation stabilities, oxidation-corrosion properties, bulk modulus, lubricity, surface tension and density were measured. It was shown that as the carbon to oxygen ratio in the polymer repeating unit decreases, the viscometric properties improve, the fluids may become poorer boundary lubricants, the bulk modulus increases, the surface tension increases and the fluid density increases. The presence of difluoromethylene oxide units in the polymer does not significantly lower the oxidation and oxidation-corrosion stabilities as long as the difluoromethylene oxide units are separated by other units.

Jones, W. R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Lubrication of space systems

NASA has many high-technology programs plannned for the future, such as the space station, Mission to Planet Earth (a series of Earth-observing satellites), space telescopes, and planetary orbiters. These missions will involve advanced mechanical moving components, space mechanisms that will need wear protection and lubrication. The tribology practices used in space today are primarily based on a technology that is more than 20 years old. The question is the following: Is this technology base good enough to meet the needs of these future long-duration NASA missions? This paper examines NASA's future space missions, how mechanisms are currently lubricated, some of the mechanism and tribology challenges that may be encountered in future missions, and some potential solutions to these future challenges.

Fusaro, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A comparison of the performance of solid and liquid lubricants in oscillating spacecraft ball bearings

The European Space Tribology Laboratory (ESTL) has been engaged in a program to compare the performance of oscillating ball bearings when lubricated by a number of space lubricants, both liquid and solid. The results have shown that mean torque levels are increased by up to a factor of five above the normal running torque, and that often torque peaks of even greater magnitudes are present at the ends of travel. It is believed that these effects are caused by a build-up of compacted debris in the contact zone, thus reducing the ball/race conformity ratio.

Gill, S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Wear-Resistant, Self-Lubricating Surfaces of Diamond Coatings

In humid air and dry nitrogen, as-deposited, fine-grain diamond films and polished, coarse-grain diamond films have low steady-state coefficients of friction (less than 0.1) and low wear rates (less than or equal to 10(exp -6) mm(exp 3)/N-m). In an ultrahigh vacuum (10(exp -7) Pa), however, they have high steady-state coefficients of friction (greater than 0.6) and high wear rates (greater than or equal to 10(exp -4) mm(exp 3)/N-m). Therefore, the use of as-deposited, fine-grain and polished, coarse-grain diamond films as wear-resistant, self-lubricating coatings must be limited to normal air or gaseous environments such as dry nitrogen. On the other hand, carbon-ion-implanted, fine-grain diamond films and nitrogen-ion-implanted, coarse-grain diamond films have low steady-state coefficients of friction (less than 0.1) and low wear rates (less than or equal to 10(exp -6) mm(exp 3)/N-m) in all three environments. These films can be effectively used as wear-resistant, self-lubricating coatings in an ultrahigh vacuum as well as in normal air and dry nitrogen.

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa↗
NASA NTRS1995

Preliminary Evaluation of PS300: A New Self-Lubricating High Temperature Composite Coating for Use to 800 C

This paper introduces PS300, a plasma sprayed, self-lubricating composite coating for use in sliding contacts at temperatures to 800 C. PS300 is a metal bonded chrome oxide coating with silver and BaF2/CaF2 eutectic solid lubricant additives. PS300 is similar to PS200, a chromium carbide based coating, which is currently being investigated for a variety of tribological applications. In pin-on-disk testing up to 650 C, PS300 exhibited comparable friction and wear properties to PS200. The PS300 matrix, which is predominantly chromium oxide rather than chromium carbide, does not require diamond grinding and polishes readily with silicon carbide abrasives greatly reducing manufacturing costs compared to PS200. It is anticipated that PS300 has potential for sliding bearing and seal applications in both aerospace and general industry.

Dellacorte, C.↗