Mechanisms of formation of wear-resistant dissipative structures in non-stationary lubrication conditions

Abstract

The work aimed to determine the influence of the processes of supramolecular self-organization in the lubricating layer on the patterns of wear of friction pairs. The mechanisms of structural adaptability of tribocoupler elements were analyzed, and the regularities of the manifestation of a large-scale and energy jump, which characterizes the transition of the tribosystem to a metastable state, were determined. An evaluation of the tribotechnical characteristics of commercial transmission oils was carried out on a software-hardware complex that, using a roller analogy, simulates the operation of gears in conditions of rolling with slipping. It was established that the activation of contact surfaces in the mode of frequent starts and stops leads to active interaction of the lubricant's components and the metal's surface layers with the gradual formation of boundary adsorption layers. For transmission oil 'Bora B' T-Shyp, an increase in anti-friction properties has been established due to the effective lubricating ability of the oil when forming the hydro- and non-hydrodynamic components of the lubricating layer thickness. The effect of the chemical activity of the zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate antiwear additive and the hydrocarbon components of the base of transmission oils on the effectiveness of the formation of boundary films is considered. It was determined that the formation of stable boundary films of the lubricant is the leading process in manifesting their damping properties concerning the localization of elastic-plastic deformation along the depth of the metal. When boundary films are formed on 90-95% of the contact area, the change in the microstructure of the near-surface layers is fixed at a depth of up to 20 microns; when boundary films are formed on 20...50% of the surface area, the spread of elastic-plastic deformation reaches a depth of up to 50 microns. The kinetics of the formation of boundary films by the lubricant and the indicators of the specific work of friction in contact are correlated with the intensity of wear of the contact surfaces