A comparative study on the tribological behaviour of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as lubricating micro-particles—An additive in porous sliding bearings for a car clutch

The present paper is based on experimental studies of self-lubricated porous sliding bearings with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as an additive. The friction coefficients of powder matrix lubricated by (h-BN + oil) were measured at varying loads of 1.05–2.0 MPa and sliding speeds of 1.35 and 2.5 m/s. The results are discussed in the form of performance characteristics such as the coefficient of friction, bearing temperature, and load-carrying capacity. The micro-particles of the h-BN additive were between 1 and 2 μm in diameter. The effect of the PV (pressure–velocity) parameter on the transition time to seizure for porous bush composites impregnated by the lubricant has been studied. It was found that the addition of the micro-particles to the oil decreased the friction coefficient about twice as compared to self-lubricated bearings lubricated only by oil. The main effect of (h-BN micro-particles + oil) in comparison to Mobil DTE-BB lubricant appears to be that the impregnation of h-BN micro-particles persists for a long period of time and the micro-particles are gradually released, being supplied to the contact surfaces. For a manufacturing application, the porous bearings were assembled in a car clutch.