Tribological properties of typical woods under water lubrication compared with the Lignum vitae
Industrial Lubrication and Tribology
ISSN: 0036-8792
Article publication date: 19 December 2024
Issue publication date: 23 January 2025
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the potential of wood as a water-lubricated bearing material, determine the factors influencing the water-lubricated properties of wood and identify suitable alternatives to Lignum vitae.
Design/methodology/approach
Three resource-abundant wood species, Platycladus orientalis, Cunninghamia lanceolata and Betula platyphylla, were selected, and their properties were compared with those of Lignum vitae. The influencing mechanism of the tribological properties of different woods under water lubrication was thoroughly analyzed, in conjunction with the characterization and testing of mechanical properties, micromorphology and chemical composition.
Findings
The findings reveal that the mechanical properties and inclusions of wood are the primary factors affecting its tribological properties, which are significantly influenced by the micromorphology and chemical composition. The friction experiment results demonstrate that Lignum vitae exhibits the best tribological properties among the four wood species. The tribological properties of Platycladus orientalis are comparable to those of Lignum vitae, being only 17.1% higher. However, it is noted that higher mechanical properties can exacerbate the wear of the grinding pair.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the combination of friction experiments and wood performance tests to identify the factors contributing to the superior water lubrication performance of wood, thereby guiding the application and improvement of different wood types in water-lubricated bearings.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2024-0284/
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 52171319), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WUT:104972024RSCbs0024), the Young Top-notch Talent Cultivation Program of Hubei Province and Hubei Provincial Chutian Talent Plan Science and Technology Innovation Team Project.
Citation
Zhang, T., Guo, Z., Li, X. and Wu, Z. (2025), "Tribological properties of typical woods under water lubrication compared with the
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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