Thermal-Tribological Synergy in PTFE-Based Self-Lubricating Retainers for Ball Bearings Under Oil-Depleted Conditions

To investigate the temperature rise characteristics and tribological performance of angular contact ball bearings equipped with polymer-based self-lubricating retainers under oil-depleted conditions. PTFE-based composite retainers were fabricated using cold-press sintering technology. Comparative ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhining Jia, Caizhe Hao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Lubricants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4442/13/7/280
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Summary:To investigate the temperature rise characteristics and tribological performance of angular contact ball bearings equipped with polymer-based self-lubricating retainers under oil-depleted conditions. PTFE-based composite retainers were fabricated using cold-press sintering technology. Comparative experiments on 7206C were conducted on three bearing configurations (domestic, imported NSK, and YSU-S1/S2 self-lubricating retainer bearing) using a dedicated fatigue tester under oil-depleted lubrication. This study demonstrates that angular contact ball bearings equipped with PTFE-based self-lubricating retainers exhibit superior thermal behavior under oil-depleted conditions. Compared to domestic and imported NSK bearings, the retainer-equipped bearing reduced equilibrium temperatures by 2~3 °C versus NSK/domestic bearings, with 60% lower peak temperatures. The high speed further facilitates the formation of transfer films, resulting in a smoother raceway and notably enhancing the bearing’s temperature rise characteristics. This study establishes a material–process–performance framework, bridging polymer composites and industrial bearing design.
ISSN:2075-4442