Rising Stars in Tribological Research

A topical collection in Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Viewed by 9709

Editor


E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Interests: tribology; elastohydrodynamic lubrication; hydrodynamic lubrication; micro-texturing; biotribology; synovial joint tribology; additive manufacturing; DLC coating; 2D materials; MXenes; solid lubricants; composite materials; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The "Rising Stars in Tribological Research" collection aims to shed light on the groundbreaking contributions of young and emerging researchers in the ever-evolving field of tribology, our beloved and multidisciplinary science concerned with friction, lubrication, and wear. By showcasing the latest advancements and novel perspectives from rising stars in this dynamic field, this collection seeks to accelerate progress and inspire future directions in tribological research. The collection covers a wide range of topics within tribology, encompassing experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches. It includes studies exploring the fundamental aspects of friction and wear, the development of advanced lubricants, surface engineering techniques, and innovative solutions for reducing friction and wear in various engineering applications. By bringing together a diverse array of cutting-edge studies, this collection offers valuable insights and inspiration for experts and researchers, fostering collaborations and advancing the frontiers of tribological science and engineering. The innovative approaches and sustainable solutions presented in this collection have the potential to drive advancements in numerous industries and improve the overall efficiency and reliability of mechanical systems.

Dr. Max Marian
Collection 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 collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind 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

  • tribology
  • friction
  • lubrication
  • wear
  • emerging leaders
  • rising stars

Published Papers (7 papers)

2024

18 pages, 4747 KiB  
Systematic Review
Optimizing Railway Tribology: A Systematic Review and Predictive Modeling of Twin-Disc Testing Parameters
by Nicola Zani, Candida Petrogalli and Davide Battini
Lubricants 2024, 12(11), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12110382 - 4 Nov 2024
Viewed by 911
Abstract
Twin-disc testing is crucial for understanding wheel–rail interactions in railway systems, but the vast array of testing parameters and conditions makes data interpretation challenging. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the twin-disc literature experimental data, focusing on how various parameters influence friction [...] Read more.
Twin-disc testing is crucial for understanding wheel–rail interactions in railway systems, but the vast array of testing parameters and conditions makes data interpretation challenging. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the twin-disc literature experimental data, focusing on how various parameters influence friction and wear characteristics under stationary contaminant conditions. We systematically collected and analyzed data from numerous studies, considering factors such as contact pressure, speed, material hardness, sliding speeds, adhesion, and a range of contaminants. This research showed inconsistent data reporting across different studies and statistical analyses revealed significant correlations between testing parameters and wear rates. For sand-contaminated tests, a correlation between particle size and flow rate was also highlighted. Based on these findings, we developed a simple predictive model for forecasting wear rates under varying conditions. This model achieved an adjusted R2 of 0.650, demonstrating its potential for optimizing railway component design and maintenance strategies. Our study provides a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in railway engineering, offering insights into the complex tribological interactions in wheel–rail systems and a tool for predicting wear behavior. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 36375 KiB  
Technical Note
Short-Term Influence of Water Ingress on Wear in Pitch Bearings of Wind Turbines
by Matthias Stammler, Henry Ellerbrok, Rihard Pasaribu and Ulf Rieper
Lubricants 2024, 12(9), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12090310 - 2 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1268
Abstract
The pitch bearings of wind turbines are slowly oscillating, grease-lubricated slewing bearings. They facilitate the pitching movements of blades which control aerodynamic loads. These bearings have diameters of several meters, their blade-side sealings can face the environment, bending moment loads can cause radial [...] Read more.
The pitch bearings of wind turbines are slowly oscillating, grease-lubricated slewing bearings. They facilitate the pitching movements of blades which control aerodynamic loads. These bearings have diameters of several meters, their blade-side sealings can face the environment, bending moment loads can cause radial deformation of the bearing rings, and their highly variable operating temperatures can facilitate condensation of water inside them. All of this makes water ingress into the lubricant possible. There is limited public knowledge with regards to the maximum water content for safe operation in this application. This work presents the results of a series of scaled wind turbine time series tests with both ‘dry’ (no water contamination) and ‘wet’ (10 mass % demineralized water added) greases. A set of four commercially available greases were tested. The time series were scaled from wind turbine operation and represented a 13.7 h worst-case scenario of operation with small oscillation amplitudes and no longer lubrication runs in between. Three of the greases showed reduced friction and no or limited raceway damage in the wet condition, whereas one showed increased friction and raceway damages. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5497 KiB  
Article
Galling-Free Forging of Titanium Using Carbon-Supersaturated SiC Coating Dies
by Tatsuhiko Aizawa and Tatsuya Fukuda
Lubricants 2024, 12(9), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12090309 - 1 Sep 2024
Viewed by 731
Abstract
The thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was utilized to fabricate 6H-structured SiC coating dies with carbon control. The carbon-rich clusters along the SiC grain boundaries acted as a pinning site to suppress irregular crystal growth and to homogenize the fine-grained structure. These [...] Read more.
The thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was utilized to fabricate 6H-structured SiC coating dies with carbon control. The carbon-rich clusters along the SiC grain boundaries acted as a pinning site to suppress irregular crystal growth and to homogenize the fine-grained structure. These massive carbon-supersaturated (MCSed) SiC dies with a thickness of 4 mm were utilized for upsetting pure titanium bars in dry and cold conditions. Under a stress gradient from the contact interface to the depth of the SiC coating, the carbon solute isolated from these carbon clusters diffused through the grain boundaries and formed free carbon agglomerates on the contact interface to the pure titanium bars. These in situ-formed free carbon agglomerates acted as a solid lubricant to sustain the friction coefficient at 0.09 at the hot spots on the contact interface and to protect the dies and bars from severe adhesive wearing. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 8706 KiB  
Article
Moving beyond Flow Factors: Modeling Full Film Lubrication with Representative Surface Topography Using Heterogeneous Multiscale Methods
by Joshua Montgomery, Camille Hammersley, Mark C. T. Wilson, Michael Bryant and Gregory de Boer
Lubricants 2024, 12(9), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12090305 - 30 Aug 2024
Viewed by 925
Abstract
Lubrication modeling has long been dominated by the well-established Patir and Cheng flow factors method. The flow factors approach allows for accurate estimates of macroscale parameters (such as friction) in a reasonable amount of time. These methods are stochastic representations of microscale interactions [...] Read more.
Lubrication modeling has long been dominated by the well-established Patir and Cheng flow factors method. The flow factors approach allows for accurate estimates of macroscale parameters (such as friction) in a reasonable amount of time. These methods are stochastic representations of microscale interactions and are not able to predict local scale (pressure, film thickness) phenomena with a suitable degree of accuracy. This contrasts with a deterministic approach, where a numerical grid must be applied that fully defines the microscale surface topography across the contact. The mesh resolution required leads to prohibitively long execution times and lacks scalability to engineering systems, but provides accurate predictions of local scale phenomena. In this paper, heterogeneous multiscale methods (HMM) are expanded to model varying and are, therefore, more representative of surface topography within lubricated contacts. This representative topography is derived from measured data, thereby allowing the accuracy of deterministic methods to be achieved with the speed of a flow factor method. This framework is then applied to compare key performance characteristics (pressure, film thickness, etc.) when idealized, Gaussian, and measured surface topography are modeled. The variations in microscale geometry are defined by measurements from across two tilted-pad bearings, demonstrating the ability of the expanded HMM framework to model representative surface topography. A comparison with a deterministic method is included as validation, and outputs of the HMM are discussed in the context of the lubrication across multiple length scales. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2759 KiB  
Review
Plant-Based Oils for Sustainable Lubrication Solutions—Review
by Diana Berman
Lubricants 2024, 12(9), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12090300 - 26 Aug 2024
Viewed by 2638
Abstract
Traditional lubricants, often containing harmful chemicals and synthetic or fossil-derived oils, pose environmental risks by damaging ecosystems and threatening human health and wildlife. There is a growing demand for environmentally sustainable and cost-effective bio-based lubricants derived from renewable raw materials. These bio-based oils [...] Read more.
Traditional lubricants, often containing harmful chemicals and synthetic or fossil-derived oils, pose environmental risks by damaging ecosystems and threatening human health and wildlife. There is a growing demand for environmentally sustainable and cost-effective bio-based lubricants derived from renewable raw materials. These bio-based oils often possess natural lubricating properties, making them an attractive alternative to traditional synthetic lubricants. In addition to providing effective lubrication, they offer good biodegradability and minimal toxicity, which are essential for reducing environmental impact. However, the primary challenge lies in optimizing their performance to match or surpass that of conventional lubricants while ensuring they remain cost-effective and widely available. This paper reviews the general requirements for lubricants and explores how plant-based oils can be utilized to meet the diverse lubrication needs across various industries. Further, it highlights different approaches that can be used for further improvements in the area of plant-based lubrication through bio-inspired means, such as the use of estolides, wax esters, or erucic acid, as well as through additions of nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles, nanoclays, or two-dimensional films. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 6445 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Lubrication Performance of Plastic Oil Lubricant with Oleic Acid-Functionalized Graphene Nanoplatelets and Hexagonal Boron Nitride Solid Lubricant Additives
by Soumya Sikdar and Pradeep L. Menezes
Lubricants 2024, 12(7), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12070251 - 10 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1167
Abstract
The study explored the viability of using waste plastic oil (PO) as an alternative lubricant to petroleum-based lubricants in industrial settings. To enhance the lubrication performance of the PO, this study incorporated cost-efficient, oleic acid-modified, graphene nano platelets [GNP (f)] and hexagonal boron [...] Read more.
The study explored the viability of using waste plastic oil (PO) as an alternative lubricant to petroleum-based lubricants in industrial settings. To enhance the lubrication performance of the PO, this study incorporated cost-efficient, oleic acid-modified, graphene nano platelets [GNP (f)] and hexagonal boron nitride [hBN (f)] nano solid lubricant additives into the PO in various concentrations, forming functionalized nano lubricants. The PO and its functionalized nano lubricant’s rheological, dispersion stability, thermal degradation, friction, and wear performance were investigated. Results manifest that incorporating GNP (f) and hBN (f) into the PO significantly enhanced the viscosity and dispersion stability. In addition, it was seen that GNP (f) and hBN (f) nano lubricants lowered the coefficient of friction (COF) by 53% and 63.63% respectively, compared to the PO. However, the GNP (f) and hBN (f) nano lubricants demonstrated a 3.16% decrease and a 50.08% increase in wear volume relative to the PO. Overall, the GNP (f) and hBN (f) nano lubricants displayed a synergistic friction behavior, while they exhibited an antagonistic behavior pertaining to the wear volume. The study elucidated the mechanisms underlying friction and wear performance of the nano lubricants. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5569 KiB  
Article
Thermal Stability and High-Temperature Super Low Friction of γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 Nanocomposite Coatings on Steel
by Qunfeng Zeng
Lubricants 2024, 12(6), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants12060223 - 17 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 764
Abstract
The thermal stability of the γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposites and super low friction of the γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposite coatings in ambient air at high temperature are investigated in this paper. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microcopy, transmission [...] Read more.
The thermal stability of the γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposites and super low friction of the γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposite coatings in ambient air at high temperature are investigated in this paper. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microcopy, transmission scanning electron microcopy, high-temperature tribometer, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to investigate the microstructure, surface morphology and high-temperature tribological properties of the γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposite coatings, respectively. The results show that the γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposite with the core–shell structure has excellent thermal stability because the SiO2 shell inhibits the phase transition of the γ-Fe2O3 phase to the α-Fe2O3 phase in the nanocomposites. The temperature of the phase transition in γ-Fe2O3 can be increased from 460 to 829 °C. The γ-Fe2O3@SiO2 nanocomposite coatings exhibit super low friction (0.05) at 500 °C. A high-temperature super low friction mechanism is attributed to γ-Fe2O3 and the tribochemical reactions during sliding. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop