Evaluation and analysis of abrasive wear resistance of hybrid roller bearings under lubricant contamination

Abrasive wear is a common failure mode of rolling bearings. To enhance the resistance of traditional all-steel bearings to abrasive wear, the structure of traditional all-steel cylindrical thrust roller bearings has been appropriately adjusted, and hybrid roller bearings have been formed by replacing some of the steel rollers in the traditional bearings with ceramic rollers. The frictional performance of hybrid roller bearings under lubricant contamination conditions was analyzed, and the wear reduction mechanism was discussed. The results show that under the condition of lubricant contamination, replacing the appropriate amount of ceramic rollers not only helps reduce friction and decrease wear but also contributes to improving the overall temperature rise of the bearing. Furthermore, when the total amount of contaminants is constant, a specific threshold exists for the impact of replacing the number of rolling elements on reducing mass loss. For a substantial reduction in wear with hybrid roller bearings, the replacement rollers should constitute at least one-fifth of the total number of rollers. The wear reduction observed in hybrid roller bearings results from a combination of crushing and refinement, grinding and finishing, and self-healing mechanisms.