Spying into the Complex World of Lubricants

J. S. S. Wong1*

*j.wong@imperial.ac.uk

1Tribology Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.

Abstract
When two surfaces are rubbed against each other, conditions at the contact can be so severe that result in surface damage and subsequent machine failure.  Lubricants are used to manage friction and wear of tribological contacts. These are multi-component complex fluids. Their success depends very much on how they responds to contact conditions.

To understand how behavior of lubricants is affected by contact conditions, our group has developed techniques that make possible in-situ contact measurements of various properties of lubricants. In this poster presentation, a summary of our effort and new learning will be provided. Technical challenges encountered and solutions will be discussed. New research opportunities based on our experimental tools will be outlined.