LUBRICATION AND SURFACE DISTRESS OF LOADED TOOTH FLANK OF GEARS

The lubrication state between contacting bodies with rolling and sliding under loaded condition is generally understood by the conception shown in Figure 1. When the lubricating oil film formation between facing bodies is good enough to separate these bodies by the hydrodynamic pressure, this state is called by the expression of "hydrodynamic lubrication". The thickness of oil film is so large that the lubricating oil between facing bodies behaves as fluid and metal-to-metal contact between surface roughness asperities on facing bodies does not occur. When the oil film thickness becomes thinner or when the surface roughness height becomes larger, top of surface roughness asperities on facing bodies reaches very near to each other and there the oil or absorbed oil molecules on the surface of facing bodies behave no more as fluid. Partly metal-to-metal contact of surface roughness asperities occurs. Such lubrication state is called by the expression "mixed-lubrication". When the oil film thickness becomes more thinner or surface roughness height becomes larger, metal-tometal contact or contact via absorbed oil molecules dominate at most of the part in contact zone. Such state is called by the expression "boundary lubrication". Schematic representation of these three regimes of lubrication is shown in Figure 1.rication is shown in Figure 1.