The Effect of the Exposure-In-Oil on the Contact Angle of the Polymers Forming Sliding Layers in Hydrodynamic Bearings (original) (raw)

Polymers used as the sliding layers of hydrodynamic thrust bearings are typically thermoplastics characterized by relatively high values of contact angles when compared with metals. Metals, including Babbitt, or other bearing alloys, are characterized by low values of the contact angles. The lower the angle, the better the surface is wetted. Plastics used in tribological pairs to ensure a lower coefficient of friction, that is, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or its composites, have several times higher contact angles compared to the bearing alloys. The research described below shows the effect of the exposure-in-oil contact angle of the polymer layer applied on a hydrodynamic sliding bearing. The conducted study showed the beneficial effects of oil on the reduction of the contact angle.