Percolation and Supply Behavior of Lubricant on Porous Self‐Lubricating Material

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the percolation and supply behavior of lubricant on the porous self‐lubricating material. The numerical model is established to describe the infiltration‐exudation response in the deformed porous material. It is found that the lubricant stored in the pores is forced to flow when the loaded porous matrix deforms. The flow drives the seepage stratification in the porous body and forms an interlayer flow zone. The fluid pressure gradient in the normal direction is the internal factor of the seepage stratification. The interlayer flow zone first appears in the middle of the vertical direction of the porous matrix. With the increase of loading time, the interlayer flow zone gradually moves from the middle to the bottom of the porous matrix, which means that the quantity of the lubricant stored in the porous surface decreases. In the whole process of the seepage response, the lubricant flows out from the inlet and continuously supplies lubricant to the contact area. Delaying the downward movement of the interlayer flow zone can ensure the continuous exudation of the lubricant, which is beneficial to maintain excellent lubrication characteristics.