Limits of Wear Protection for Grease Lubricated Rolling Bearings

The investigations carried out up until now, to clarify the wear protection effect of lubricating greases in rolling bearings, are limited to a narrow temperature range in each case. In order to enable an improved prognosis of the wear protection for grease-lubricated rolling bearing applications, a systematic consideration of the additive effectiveness in a broader, more practical temperature range is necessary. The aim of the project is therefore to clarify the temperature-related wear protection effect of greases in rolling bearings and the underlying mechanisms. Thus, the limits of action or use of the lubricants for the application will be determined and the basis for an improved design reliability will be created.

The project provides for systematic, experimental investigations on the influence of the operating temperature (-40 to 120 °C) on the wear protection effect of lubricating greases in rolling bearings. Bearing load and operating speed will be varied in a targeted manner taking into account the results of DGMK project 730. The use of known lubricating grease formulations allows the determination of additive-specific ranges of action. The wear protection mechanisms of the lubricating greases can be analysed in depth by means of detailed microanalytical investigations accompanying the tests.

The DGMK Research Report 774 has been published.