Traction, Load and Film Thickness in Lightly-Loaded Lubricated Point Contacts

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Abstract
Theoretical results, i.e. pressure distribution, load and traction for given film thicknesses, were obtained for rigid point contacts under equiviscous and piezoviscous conditions. Reynolds' boundary conditions are used and integration domain is shown to sizeably influence traction and load. Tests were conducted for a contact formed by a sphere and a transparent fixed plane for light and medium loads and for four oils of identical viscosity, but of different nature. The results obtained cover the equiviscous and piezoviscous hydrodynamic and elastohydrodynamic ranges. Good correlation between theoretical and experimental results is obtained in the first two regimes. Traction measurements did not allow us to differentiate between the rheological behaviour of straight mineral oils and oils highly loaded with polymers. Starvation observed in this study leads to a flattening of the contact zone and to an increase of the traction force.

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