A Lubricant for Rotaprint Lubrication of the Wheel–Rail System

A multicomponent lubricant for increasing wear resistance in the wheel–rail system has been developed and studied. The lubricant composition effect on the wear intensity level of the wheel–rail system, the lubricant consumption and the friction coefficient in the wheel–rail system has been assessed based on simplex-lattice composition-property experimental designs. A reasonable composition of a three-component plastic lubricant consisting of 11% foam glass, 32% stearic acid, and 57% bitumen has been obtained. The industrial tests for the developed lubricant efficiency under the conditions of the North Caucasian Railway have been carried out. According to test results, the wear intensity level of the wheel flanges has exhibited a 28.4% decrease, whereas the lubricant consumption has shown a 29.5% decrease.