The Effect of the Electric Double Layer on a Very Thin Water Lubricating Film

Authors: Wong P.L.¹; Huang P.²; Meng Y.³

Source: Tribology Letters, Volume 14, Number 3, April 2003 , pp. 197-203(7)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This paper discusses the effect of the electric double layer on a very thin water lubricating film with and without consideration of the elastic deformation of the opposing surfaces. A modified Reynolds equation that considers the electric double layer is used in a numerical analysis. The effect of zeta potential on the film thickness and pressure is numerically calculated. For both hydrodynamic and elastohydrodynamic cases, the electric double layer significantly increases the lubricating film thickness. The pressure is also marginally increased, as illustrated in the hydrodynamic analysis. However, the effect on pressure is almost unnoticeable in the elastohydrodynamic analysis. Overall, the electric-double-layer effect is only significant for a water-film thickness of less than approximately 100 nanometers.

Keywords: electric double layer; thin water film lubrication; elastohydrodynamic lubrication

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P.R. China. e-mail: meplwong@ cityu.edu.hk 2: Mechatronic Engineering Department, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, P.R. China 3: National Tribology Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China

Publication date: 2003-04-01