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Cleanliness and Wettability of Components to Be Studied by Committee on Rolling Element Bearings

ASTM International Committee F34 on Rolling Element Bearings is seeking participation in a new activity on measuring the cleanliness and wettability of bearing components. Because aerospace customers currently use many different methods of testing ball bearings, the goal of the activity is to work toward a consistent method for measuring cleanliness and wettability, as well as to analyze the viability of various testing methods for specific situations.

“Chemists and bearing engineers who are testing experts are needed,” says Peter Ward, a consultant in the field of bearing tribology, materials and processing. Bearing users who understand the relevance of wetability to ball bearing performance will be particularly important to the new activity, according to Ward.

Questions that will be addressed within this new activity include:

• Are all bearing lubes by family similar in reaction to a particular test method?
• What kinds of surface contamination can cause wettability reactions?
• Is surface finish and bearing material a variable in the method?
• Can the same method of wettability check be used for both balls and bearing rings?

A meeting for those interested in this new standards activity, which is under the jurisdiction of will take place during F34’s meeting at the November Committee Week in Dallas, Texas.//

CONTACT:

Technical Information:
Peter Ward, PC Ward Consultant, Rindge, N.H.
Phone: 603/491-6624

ASTM staff: Timothy Brooke
Phone: 610/832-9729

Upcoming Meeting: Nov. 8-10, November Committee Week, Dallas, Texas