Experimental investigation of tribological performance of brass-based plain bearings

The aim of the study was to determine the parameters effective in maximizing the lifespan of hydrodynamic radial journal bearings. In this context, the effect of load, speed, and lubricant parameters on the tribological performance of radial journal bearings was investigated through experimental studies conducted on brass material. A sliding bearing system designed as a test unit was used in the study, and material behaviors were investigated parametrically. Temperature change and surface quality were measured as output parameters. The use of vegetable-based lubricants in journal bearings and the statistical investigation of their tribological behaviors constitute the original contribution of the study. In the experimental study, three different power levels (low: 95 N-500 rpm, medium: 120 N-1000 rpm, and high: 145 N-1500 rpm) and three different lubricants (vegetable oil, boron oil, synthetic oil) were used. The experiments were modeled according to a full factorial experimental design. Industrial application density and availability were considered in the selection of lubricants. Surface roughness of the test samples, temperature change values, and surface topography images were examined to investigate the wear behavior of the journal bearing material. ANOVA tests were conducted for the output parameters. Upon examination of the results, it was observed that the use of vegetable oil yielded the best results for temperature difference under low power conditions (95 N load and 500 rpm). For surface roughness, the lowest values were obtained under low power conditions (95N load and 500 rpm) with the use of synthetic oil.