ELASTOHYDRODYNAMIC LUBRICATION BY POWDER SLURRIES

Thermoelastohydrodynamic analysis of a powder slurry containing a mixt ure of MoS2 particles and a carrier fluid is presented for a line-cont act configuration. The constitutive equation of the slurry is a non-Ne wtonian formulation based on experimental data. The model includes pro visions for elastic/plastic deformation of particles in the slurry. Th rough this deformation, particles are shown to contribute to the load- carrying capacity. The viscosity of the carrier fluid is shown to incr ease considerably as a result of adding a large amount of particles, t hus appreciably affecting the EHL behavior of powder slurries. perform ance results are presented for the pressure profile, film thickness, t emperature distribution, and traction coefficient for a number of slid ing/rolling ratios. The existence of particles in slurry is shown to g ive rise to a higher temperature field and tends to increase the tract ion coefficient compared to typical shear thinning fluids.