Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles

This study aims to investigate the wear patterns due to grease contamination by several types of solid particles on ball bearings. The research was conducted using a ball bearing test apparatus with a load of 300 N with a rotational speed of 2998 rpm for 4 hours. The solid contaminants used were iro...

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Main Authors: Aidil Ikhsan, Dedison Gasni, Meifal Rusli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Kragujevac 2025-06-01
Series:Tribology in Industry
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Online Access:https://www.tribology.rs/journals/2025/2025-2/2025-2-02.html
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author Aidil Ikhsan
Dedison Gasni
Meifal Rusli
author_facet Aidil Ikhsan
Dedison Gasni
Meifal Rusli
author_sort Aidil Ikhsan
collection DOAJ
description This study aims to investigate the wear patterns due to grease contamination by several types of solid particles on ball bearings. The research was conducted using a ball bearing test apparatus with a load of 300 N with a rotational speed of 2998 rpm for 4 hours. The solid contaminants used were iron sand, coal, silica, limestone, gypsum, and clay with a concentration of 20 wt% and particle sizes of 74 and 250 µm, respectively. During testing, the condition of the bearing and motor was monitored. Wear surface morphology was observed on the inner and outer races of the ball bearing using an optical microscope and SEM/EDX. The test results show that hard contaminants, such as silica and iron sand, predominantly induced abrasive wear through the two-body and third-body wear mechanism, resulting in scuffing and denting. While soft contaminants, such as coal, gypsum, clay, and limestone, primarily caused third-body wear mechanisms with flakes on the surface of the outer ring due to lack of lubricant properties and trigger starvation. SEM/EDX analysis confirms the role of two-body and third-body in accelerating wear progression. Monitoring the vibration, temperature, and current of the bearing and motor could identify the severity of wear.
format Article
id doaj-art-0b4b22302e2a4d8fbff4b603c608e437
institution Kabale University
issn 0354-8996
2217-7965
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher University of Kragujevac
record_format Article
series Tribology in Industry
spelling doaj-art-0b4b22302e2a4d8fbff4b603c608e4372025-08-20T03:32:26ZengUniversity of KragujevacTribology in Industry0354-89962217-79652025-06-0147220221610.24874/ti.1893.02.25.04Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid ParticlesAidil Ikhsan0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3499-7100Dedison Gasni 1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2854-1752Meifal Rusli2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7865-822XDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Kampus Limau Manis, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 25163; Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Bung Hatta, Jl. Gajah Mada No.19, Gn. Pangilun, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 25173Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Kampus Limau Manis, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 25163Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Kampus Limau Manis, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, 25163This study aims to investigate the wear patterns due to grease contamination by several types of solid particles on ball bearings. The research was conducted using a ball bearing test apparatus with a load of 300 N with a rotational speed of 2998 rpm for 4 hours. The solid contaminants used were iron sand, coal, silica, limestone, gypsum, and clay with a concentration of 20 wt% and particle sizes of 74 and 250 µm, respectively. During testing, the condition of the bearing and motor was monitored. Wear surface morphology was observed on the inner and outer races of the ball bearing using an optical microscope and SEM/EDX. The test results show that hard contaminants, such as silica and iron sand, predominantly induced abrasive wear through the two-body and third-body wear mechanism, resulting in scuffing and denting. While soft contaminants, such as coal, gypsum, clay, and limestone, primarily caused third-body wear mechanisms with flakes on the surface of the outer ring due to lack of lubricant properties and trigger starvation. SEM/EDX analysis confirms the role of two-body and third-body in accelerating wear progression. Monitoring the vibration, temperature, and current of the bearing and motor could identify the severity of wear.https://www.tribology.rs/journals/2025/2025-2/2025-2-02.htmlball bearingwear mechanismsolid contaminantstarvationvibrationtemperaturecurrent
spellingShingle Aidil Ikhsan
Dedison Gasni
Meifal Rusli
Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles
Tribology in Industry
ball bearing
wear mechanism
solid contaminant
starvation
vibration
temperature
current
title Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles
title_full Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles
title_fullStr Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles
title_full_unstemmed Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles
title_short Wear Patterns on Ball Bearings Lubricated by Grease Contaminated with Several Large Solid Particles
title_sort wear patterns on ball bearings lubricated by grease contaminated with several large solid particles
topic ball bearing
wear mechanism
solid contaminant
starvation
vibration
temperature
current
url https://www.tribology.rs/journals/2025/2025-2/2025-2-02.html
work_keys_str_mv AT aidilikhsan wearpatternsonballbearingslubricatedbygreasecontaminatedwithseverallargesolidparticles
AT dedisongasni wearpatternsonballbearingslubricatedbygreasecontaminatedwithseverallargesolidparticles
AT meifalrusli wearpatternsonballbearingslubricatedbygreasecontaminatedwithseverallargesolidparticles