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Lubricants
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Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System, 4th Edition
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Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System, 4th Edition

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 3160

Editor

Prof. Dr. Yong Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
2. New Energy Vehicle Research Center, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
Interests: research and development of new energy vehicle transmission system; composite modification and strengthening technology of gear bearing surface; NVH control of new energy vehicle electric drive system; energy management of hybrid electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles; performance of new energy vehicle wheel hub motor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After the successful publication of the first, second, and third editions of the Special Issue "Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System", we are excited to announce that the fourth edition is now open for submissions.

Bearings are widely used in automobile transmission, rail transit, and aerospace and equipment manufacturing. They are key mechanical components for bearing loads and transmitting motion. Under severe operating conditions, such as high loads, high speeds, and wide temperature ranges, research into bearing friction, wear characteristics, and fatigue damage mechanism, is significant for promoting the reliability, durability, and service life of bearings. With advanced intelligent manufacturing technologies, such as bearing material alloy optimization, heat treatment process optimization, deformation prediction, surface modification, and intelligent simulation, new technical support and development pathways can be provided for bearing systems.

This Special Issue will present a collection of papers on bearing friction and wear, fatigue durability, and rotor dynamics, representing the latest research progress in this field. I am pleased to invite researchers in related fields to contribute to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Yong Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bearing
  • tribology
  • wear
  • fatigue characteristics
  • dynamic characteristics
  • fault diagnosis

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Related Special Issues

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 6374 KB  
Article
A Study on the Vibration Characteristics of Cage-Less Ball Bearings Following Local Damage to the Grooves
by Enwen Zhou, Jingwei Zhang, Lili Fan, Hui Qi, Yuan Zhang and Huanqing Zhang
Lubricants 2026, 14(7), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14070248 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 330
Abstract
When the magnetic field of a magnetic levitation bearing is lost, the cage-less ball bearing acts as a backup bearing to support the falling spindle. To ensure uniform distribution of the rolling elements in the cage-less ball bearing, researchers have designed local functional [...] Read more.
When the magnetic field of a magnetic levitation bearing is lost, the cage-less ball bearing acts as a backup bearing to support the falling spindle. To ensure uniform distribution of the rolling elements in the cage-less ball bearing, researchers have designed local functional grooves on the outer ring raceway. However, the periodic motion of the rolling elements causes damage to these grooves, leading to discrete failure of the rolling elements and resulting in vibration during bearing operation. Therefore, this paper investigates the dynamic characteristics of the rolling elements and the factors influencing bearing vibration following damage to the local functional grooves in caged ball bearings. A vibration model for bearings with damaged functional grooves is established, and the research is conducted through theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System, 4th Edition)
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21 pages, 24404 KB  
Article
Research on Damage Mechanism of Ceramic Balls in Hybrid Rolling Friction Pairs
by Oleksandr Stelmakh, Yiqiao Guo, Anatoliy Maystrenko, Yansong Liu, Ruslan Kostunik, Alexsandr Vasylchuk, Dmytry Kustovskyi and Hao Zhang
Lubricants 2026, 14(6), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14060234 - 10 Jun 2026
Viewed by 511
Abstract
In hybrid rolling bearings operating under extreme high-temperature and high-load conditions, steel rolling elements are prone to early failure, which has accelerated the widespread adoption of ceramic materials. To address the limitations of conventional studies, which have focused mainly on macroscopic wear parameters [...] Read more.
In hybrid rolling bearings operating under extreme high-temperature and high-load conditions, steel rolling elements are prone to early failure, which has accelerated the widespread adoption of ceramic materials. To address the limitations of conventional studies, which have focused mainly on macroscopic wear parameters while neglecting subsurface failure mechanisms and the relationship among sintering process, microstructure, and fatigue performance, this work systematically compares the tribological behavior of Si3N4 ceramic balls fabricated by high-pressure electric resistance hot-pressing (REHP) and B4C ceramic balls prepared by conventional hot pressing (HP) against 52100 steel counterparts. The central innovation of this study lies in clarifying, based on Hertzian contact theory and Lundberg-Palmgren life theory, that subsurface orthogonal shear stress, rather than surface compressive stress, is the fundamental driving force for contact fatigue failure of ceramic balls. In addition, two distinct damage evolution modes are revealed: B4C exhibits early-stage brittle fracture and large-scale spalling, whereas REHP-Si3N4 is characterized by microcrack initiation and slow crack propagation. Moreover, the intrinsic mechanism by which the REHP process significantly enhances the contact fatigue life of ceramics is elucidated; namely, it refines grain size, eliminates residual porosity, and increases densification. The results show that, under the same high-load conditions, the mass loss of REHP-Si3N4 ceramic balls is only 35.7% of that of HP-B4C, while the service life is extended by 20%. This work provides a key theoretical basis for ceramic material selection and sintering process optimization in high-performance hybrid bearings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System, 4th Edition)
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15 pages, 3529 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Lubricant Selection and Lubrication Intervals for Pin–Bushing Bearings Operating Under High-Temperature Conditions in Heavy-Duty Construction Machinery
by Ilhan Celik, Abdullah Tahir Şensoy and Sevki Burak Sezer
Lubricants 2026, 14(4), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14040179 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 946
Abstract
Pin–bushing bearings in heavy-duty construction machinery operating in severe industrial environments are susceptible to accelerated wear, grease degradation, and lubrication failure, yet application-specific guidance for lubricant selection and re-greasing intervals under such conditions remains limited. This study evaluates the combined effects of bushing [...] Read more.
Pin–bushing bearings in heavy-duty construction machinery operating in severe industrial environments are susceptible to accelerated wear, grease degradation, and lubrication failure, yet application-specific guidance for lubricant selection and re-greasing intervals under such conditions remains limited. This study evaluates the combined effects of bushing material (hardened steel, cast bronze, and Cu–Sn alloy), grease type (three commercially used greases with viscosities of 120, 460, and 150 mm2/s at 40 °C), and lubrication interval (8, 12, and 24 h) on grease-condition indicators in a field-operating wheel loader used in slag handling, where surrounding slag temperatures may reach 700–800 °C. A Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was used to define nine experimental configurations, each applied for approximately one week under real operating conditions. Grease samples were characterised using the SKF grease analysis kit based on NLGI consistency grade, base oil release rate, and contamination particle count. All greases showed an increase in NLGI grade from 2 to 3–4 during service, indicating thickening and a possible risk of lubrication channel blockage. Oil release rates decreased by up to 60% in some configurations, indicating reduced base oil mobility during service. When the three grease-condition indicators were evaluated together by Grey Relational Analysis, the combination of steel bushing, type B grease (ISO VG 460, lithium complex with MoS2), and a 12 h lubrication interval showed the most balanced overall response. These findings provide field-based guidance for grease selection and maintenance scheduling in pin–bushing systems operating under demanding service conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System, 4th Edition)
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13 pages, 4303 KB  
Article
Research on the Analysis Method of the Life Modification Factor for Grease-Lubricated Wind Turbine Pitch Bearings
by Qinghu Wu, Pengge Wu, Lei Zhang, Shuai Zhao and Miaojie Wu
Lubricants 2026, 14(3), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants14030108 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 835
Abstract
Lubrication performance dominates the rating life of grease-lubricated pitch bearings. Conventionally, the life modification factor is determined using base oil viscosity, whose validity is rarely verified. This work presents an effective viscosity-based method for life evaluation of wind turbine pitch bearings. The effective [...] Read more.
Lubrication performance dominates the rating life of grease-lubricated pitch bearings. Conventionally, the life modification factor is determined using base oil viscosity, whose validity is rarely verified. This work presents an effective viscosity-based method for life evaluation of wind turbine pitch bearings. The effective viscosity of grease is measured under actual operating conditions, and a comparative study is conducted against the conventional base oil viscosity method. The rationality of the proposed approach is validated by bearing life tests. Results indicate that the life modification factor calculated from effective viscosity agrees significantly better with test data. Adopting effective viscosity can substantially improve the accuracy of bearing life prediction. The proposed method provides a reliable and practical way to assess the lubrication performance and fatigue life of pitch bearings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tribological Characteristics of Bearing System, 4th Edition)
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