Impact of Doping Lubricant with Fullerene Nanoparticles on the Operating Characteristics of High-Speed Bearings

The operation of rotational devices at very high speed of rotation exceeding 100 kRPM is characteristic with short bearing life due to high wear. Thus, the main aim of the research presented in this article is to analyze the operational characteristics of high-speed rotary bearings TX72-06 when using alternative lubricants containing nanoparticles. For this purpose, we developed special technical system, whose main task is to enable the measurement of the functional and operational characteristics of high-speed rolling bearings. Compared with the conventional lubricant, a lubricant doped with a varying portion of magnetic nanoparticles was added for a comprehensive evaluation. Subsequently, the bearing underwent operating conditions with speeds of rotation up to 110 kRPM. The procedure was implemented to groups of bearings in their original state (with lubricant from production, marked as unlubricated), relubricated with original lubricant, and also relubricated with additive lubricant. Methods of multiparametric monitoring were employed for the data acquisition of data bearing information about the operational processes of loaded technical systems. Our investigation indicates that bearings using a lubricant doped with magnetic nanoparticles showed improved operating properties, particularly damped vibrations. The results of these measurements are significant for the selection of suitable nanoparticle additives for the lubrication of the tested bearings.