ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how powder films perform in such basic machine components as sliders, bearings, dampers, and piston rings, whose static and dynamic characteristics are vital for the satisfactory functioning of modern machinery. The first represents operation in the boundary-lubrication regime, while the latter provides a hydrodynamic film. The powder lubricant was a molybdenum disulfide with the same properties as used in the tests on the three-pad bearing. The three-pad pivoted bearing was specially constructed to facilitate powder lubrication. The independence of friction of speed and the constancy of the coefficient of friction over a range of operating conditions brings out one of the essential features of powder lubrication: the presence of a limiting shear strength. The effects of geometry, materials, and powder lubrication were ascertained via a series of tests with oil, dry surfaces, and powder lubrication, recording the corresponding wear.
