Rolling Contact Lubrication—The Application of Elastohydrodynamic Theory

A series of experiments on measurements of friction between lubricated rollers moving in combined rolling and sliding is reviewed. The classes of phenomena that occur under various combinations of sliding and rolling are listed under six headings. An elastohydrodynamic theory by Grubin is used to derive the pressure-viscosity exponent of the lubricant from friction measurements, and a value in agreement with viscosimetric measurements is obtained. The film thickness and temperature field in the lubricant when a shear plane develops in the film are also discussed.