In lubricated contact conjunctions film ruptures close to the exit boundary. This significantly affects the load carrying capacity and can lead to direct surface interactions. Nano-scale films (several molecular diameters of the lubricant) are no exception, a fact that has been observed using ellipsometry studies for ultra-thin film conjunctions representative for high storage capacity hard disk drives. Immediately beyond the film rupture an area of cavitation occurs and the continuity of flow condition is breached. It has been shown that for molecularly smooth surfaces solvation effect becomes dominant. This means that the contact exit is subject to discrete drainage of lubricant and may be devoid of a sufficient lubricant for film reformation to occur. This can be a stumbling block in an increasing quest to increase the data storage density of hard disk drives. Wear can become a problem as well as non-uniformity of free surface film at the inlet meniscus. It has been noted that peaks of lubricant can gather in some places, a phenomenon referred to as lubricant mogul. These localized piles of lubricant can exceed the nominally aimed for lubricant film thickness necessary for a given data storage level. This paper carries out an in-depth prediction of ultra thin film lubricant behavior through the contact. Hydrodynamic as well as near surface effects and intermolecular interactions responsible for the supply, formation, cavitation and reformation of thin films in the slider-disk conjunction have been considered.
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ASME 2010 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference
August 15–18, 2010
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Conference Sponsors:
- Design Engineering Division and Computers in Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4412-0
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Rupture and Reformation of Ultra-Thin Surface Films
William W. F. Chong,
William W. F. Chong
Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
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Mircea Teodorescu,
Mircea Teodorescu
Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
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Homer Rahnejat
Homer Rahnejat
Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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William W. F. Chong
Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
Mircea Teodorescu
Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
Homer Rahnejat
Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
Paper No:
DETC2010-28427, pp. 401-407; 7 pages
Published Online:
March 8, 2011
Citation
Chong, WWF, Teodorescu, M, & Rahnejat, H. "Rupture and Reformation of Ultra-Thin Surface Films." Proceedings of the ASME 2010 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 4: 12th International Conference on Advanced Vehicle and Tire Technologies; 4th International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. August 15–18, 2010. pp. 401-407. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2010-28427
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