Boundary lubrication.—The temperature coefficient

Abstract

The experimental method employed was that described in earlier papers. A slider having a spherical face is made to slide over a plate in an atmosphere of rigorously clean and dry air. The friction measured is static friction and the object of the experiments the determination of the effect of temperature. This has now been studied over a range of 15°C. to 110°C., and it may be said at once that the relations discovered are of a totally unexpected character. More than one attempt to study the effect of temperature was defeated by the fact that lubricating vapours were given off from the walls of the chamber in which the plate and slider were enclosed. This difficulty was completely removed by using a chamber with double walls, the inner wall being a continuous sheet of nickel. Between the walls were placed the electric grids for heating the chamber. The stream of dry air with which the chamber was flooded was also heated by being passed through a tube of silica, which was maintained at the required temperature by a coil of wire through which a current was passing. The temperature of the stream of air and the temperature of the chamber were recorded electrically.