A Flexible Platform for Tribological Measurements on a Rheometer

Tribology is the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion, and embraces the study of friction, lubrication and wear. Contrary to rheology in tribology no fixed gap is maintained, but two fixtures are pressed together by a normal load. At certain sliding speeds between the two fixtures a hydrodynamic pressure builds up separating the two fixtures, i.e. the gap is changing as a function of the lubricant and the measuring conditions.However, a tribometer requires speed and normal force control as well as a torque measurement to acquire tribological data. An air bearing supported rotational rheometer allows the measurement of the same variables but in a broader range and with better accuracy and higher precision. This fact and the intension to perform both speed and torque controlled experiments to measure Stribeck curves as well as the static friction with one single instrument let to the idea to design an accessory turning a commercial available rheometer into a high resolution tribometer based on the ball on a pyramid or ball on three plates principle.Tribological measurements using the designed accessory on dry and oil lubricated systems have been conducted and illustrate the performance of the Rheo-Tribometer. Oil lubricated measurements of Stribeck curves and the static friction are used to compare the obtained results with measurements from more traditional tribometers. Dry systems, in which no additional lubricant is used, are important when for example the friction between two polymer surfaces or between a polymer and a metal surface are investigated, respectively. Exemplary results from such measurements under dry conditions are discussed.In addition tribological and rheological measurements on greases were performed and correlations between these measurements were found. By changing the plates from solid to being elastic measurements in the so-called soft elasto-hydrodynamic-lubrication (soft-EHL) regime are possible thus extending the range of applications to for example food and consumer products. In order to cover different applications beside the ball on pyramid setup different fixtures for the tribological attachment have been designed and will be described as well.