What’s in the

Lube?
Wear Particle Analysis
Correlation to Vibration Data:
Rolling Element Bearing Fatigue

1
Wear Processes
• Sliding surfaces require lubrication to provide a reduction in
friction, heat and wear.
• However, wear processes continue to occur during both
normal and abnormal operating conditions.
• Assessing severity and identifying root causes ensures that
steps are taken to reduce the occurrence of abnormal wear
conditions.
• Steps include:
– Developing reliability programs using complimentary predictive
technologies.
– Providing adequate training to personnel.
– Investing and implementing changes that lead to better prediction
capability and thus reliability

2
Wear Processes
• The function of the lubricant is to provide a reduction in
friction, heat and wear as well as to protect surfaces from
oxidation and contamination.

– Full separation between rotating parts is not mandatory for

proper lubrication.
– In rolling element bearings, the fluid film is less than 0.05 mils.
– In journal bearings, the fluid film should be a minimum of 1 mil.

3
What is Wear Particle Analysis
• Oil analysis provides an opportunity to identify the initiation
and progression of wear processes by performing a
microscopic examination of particles generated during both
normal and abnormal wear processes.

Abrasive wear generated

from dust contamination.

4
What is Wear Particle Analysis
• Particles are typically extracted from oil samples collected
during routine oil analysis.
– Methods for separating wear particles from the lubricant
include:
• Solvent Extraction – Dissolve the oil using an appropriate solvent
and then filter through a filter patch. (Typically 2-5 micron pore size.)
• Magnetic Separation – Only ferrous particles are examined when
this method of extraction is used.

• Wear particle analysis can provide critical clues of both the

type of wear condition and the severity of the wear condition
much earlier than standard vibration analysis alone.

5
Rolling Element Bearings

6
Lubrication Regime: Rolling Element Bearing
• Elasto-Hydrodynamic Lubrication Regime
- The lubricant film provides protection to the mating
surfaces by effectively behaving as a solid in the load
zone.
- This results in elastic deformation of the bearing material.

7
Lubrication Regime for a Rolling Element Bearing

• Elasto-Hydrodynamic lubrication regimes result in

Periodic (repetitive) Elastic Bending of the contact surfaces.
• The first stage of fatigue occurs when this elastic bending
leads to subsurface microcracking which is detected through
vibration monitoring using stress wave analysis.

Rollers

Stress
Waves
Outer Race Defect

8
Micro-Cracking – Stress Wave Analysis
Early Stages
• The repeated periodic bending of
material eventually results in micro-
fractures within the surface of the
material. This is the first stage of
fatigue and is identifiable with stress
wave analysis such as that performed
by Peakvue.
• No indication of micro-cracks will be
seen from the Standard Vibration or
Lubricant Analysis at this stage.
• However, evidence may be seen in
Peakvue indicated by the presence of
bearing frequencies at the
fundamental or harmonics of the
fundamental frequencies.
• Stress waves are being generated
from the micro-cracks propagating
outward from the source due to the Peakvue Data showing stress frequencies
metal on metal contact at the site of at BPFI
the crack. 9
Wear Particle Formation from Cyclic (Repeated) Stresses
Later Stages
• Repeated deformation (flexing of the
material) in excess of the materials
ability to return to its original state
causes subsurface cracking.
• The cracks eventually become so
numerous that the surfaces begin to
come off in sheets called platelets.
• Wear Particle Analysis reveals an
increasing amount of fatigue particles.
• Particles range in size from 10 microns
to several hundred microns.
• A microscopic examination of the
surface of the displaced particles
provide clues to the source and
severity of the fatigue mode.

10
Microscopic Observations - Size
Abnormal wear particles from fatiguing processes can be as small as 5
microns in size during the initial stages progressing to sizes over 100
microns as the bearing deteriorates. In general, increasing particle size is
an indication of severity. Vibration patterns may show increasing evidence
of impacting in the time domain data.

100X Magnification: Wear Particles Impacting in Peakvue Waveform

exceed 100 microns in size. Exceeds 11 G’s.
11
Other Microscopic Observations
Color
• This particle is an iron alloy that has gone through some degree of heat
resulting in a straw-colored appearance.
• Knowing the metal composition aids the analyst in determining approximate
temperature ranges components have reached.
• The presence of striations on the surface of particles may also indicate if
there was a rub or some type of sliding wear mechanism.

High Temperatures result in Striations provide clues to the

color variations. nature of this wear mode.
12
Inner Race Defect Progression
• With microscopic evidence of an advancing fatigue mode in the lubrication data,
the vibration analyst will use both PeakVue and standard vibration data to
monitor the increasing severity of the condition.
• With the removal of surface material, impacting in the standard vibration data will
become more apparent.

13
Additional Tools: Scanning Electron Microscope

• Scanning Electron Microscopic examination provides a high definition

image of the surface morphology. EDS analysis provides more
conclusive evidence of the material composition.

EDS reveals the particles is made of Iron and Chromium…Stainless Steel.

14
Can a Rolling Element Bearing Last Forever?
• Rolling Element Bearings are designed for very specific operating
parameters. Failure to operate within design requirements often lead to
premature fatiguing.
• Consideration must be made of equipment operating parameters when
choosing the right bearing for the job.
• Example: bearing minimum load.
– Bearing minimum load is often not calculated during design phase and
results in bearing under loading.
– Overhung fans are an example where the bearing at the coupling end is
often found under loaded resulting in balls skidding upon reentry to load
zone.
– Ball bearing minimum load =1% of the bearing static load capacity to
prevent skidding (SKF).
• Applications where Load and RPM are varying, or when machines are being
operated beyond their design lead to a reduction in reliability.
• Lubricant Chemistry and Bearing Material must also be considered. The old
saying “Oil is Oil” is wrong.

15
Journal Bearings

16
Journal Bearings
• Fluid film bearings are a common choices for applications that run at very
high speeds, such as turbomachinery.
• Advantages of fluid film bearings include:
– Damping allows the system to pass through critical speeds
– Reduction in transmitted vibration
– Hydrodynamic lubrication
• Therefore, no metal on metal contact during normal running
conditions dramatically decreasing wear = an opportunity for a long
life.
• Typical Turbomachinery bearings consist of a thin layer of babbitt on steel.
– Babbitt may be composed of several different elements that are
detectable using elemental spectrometry from a lubrication lab.
– Common elements include:
• Tin, Copper and Antimony
• In the past, lead was also a common element, but it is gradually being
phased out.

17
 Lubrication Regime: Sleeve or Journal Bearings
– Hydrodynamic Lubrication regime
• Three regions per Richard Stribeck, German Engineer (Friction
Testing 1902).
– Boundary Lubrication: Contact between journal and bearing
surface
Coefficient of Friction

Boundary Lubrication

Viscosity*Speed/Load 18
 Lubrication Regime: Sleeve or Journal Bearings
– Hydrodynamic Lubrication regime
• Three regions per Richard Stribeck, German Engineer (Friction Testing
1902).
– Boundary Lubrication: Contact between journal and bearing surface
– Mixed Lubrication: Some contact between journal and bearing
surface
Coefficient of Friction

Boundary Lubrication
Mixed Lubrication

Viscosity*Speed/Load 19
 Lubrication Regime: Sleeve or Journal Bearings
– Hydrodynamic Lubrication regime
• Three regions per Richard Stribeck, German Engineer (Friction Testing 1902).
– Boundary Lubrication: Contact between journal and bearing surface
– Mixed Lubrication: Some contact between journal and bearing surface
– Fluid Film Hydrodynamic Lubrication: Journal fully supported on oil
wedge providing full separation of the journal and bearing. The lubricant
carries the full load. No metal on metal contact occurs. Minimum film
thickness typically 1 mil = 0.001 inch = 0.039 mm.
Coefficient of Friction

Boundary
BoundaryLubrication
Lubrication

Fluid-Film Lubrication

Viscosity*Speed/Load 20
Some Causes of Failure
• Loss of Lubricant (Oil pump failure, oil line leakage, etc.)
• Babbitt Fatigue (cyclic high dynamic loading such as generated by rotor
imbalance). Rotor imbalance generated force is superimposed on the
steady gravity load which may cause fatigue of babbitt.
• Dirt or Contamination (water, etc.)
• Lube oil viscosity degradation
• Lubrication failure
• Electrostatic and Electromagnetic Discharge across the oil film eroding
babbitt surface.
• Improper Bearing Installation (Bearing Misaligned to Journal either tilted or
twisted preventing development of adequate oil wedge.
• Rotor rubs which prevent development of adequate oil wedge in bearing to
lift journal.
• Etc.
21
Journal Bearing Failure
• A turbine was experiencing very high vibration that resulted
in a complete failure.
• Nine filters were sent to a lubricant laboratory for wear
debris analysis using both a white light microscope and SEM
analysis.
• The following extraction method was used:
• Approximately six grams of filter were cut from each sample, sonicated in
hexane to wash off debris and filtered through a 0.8 micron filter patch. The
filter patches were observed under both white light microscope and SEM-EDS.

Overall view at 100X using

a White Light Microscope.
High concentration of
abrasive wear and fatigue
particles are evident.

22
Journal Bearing Failure
Abrasive wear particles
• The ribbon shaped particles are indicative of some type of abrasive
contaminate that has contaminated the lube supply.
• SEM analysis revealed these particles were mostly comprised of
stainless steel, babbitt and dirt.

23
Journal Bearing Failure
Boundary Wear particles
• The presence of spherical particles is evidence of localized overheating.
• These spheres are made of Tin.

24
Journal Bearing Failure

• Another spherical particle composed of Carbon Steel.

25
Journal Bearing Failure
Fatigue
• Large Copper platelets were also present.
• The white light microscope reveals tempering (heat) during the formation
of these platelets.

26
Journal Bearing Failure
• A high concentration of fibers is evident from the white light microscope. Are
these fibers from the filter, or something else?
• SEM inspection determined fibers were of Silicon.
• Fiber Glass particles had entered the lube supply.

27
Journal Bearing Failure

Final analysis suggests that a high concentration of glass

fibers had entered the system, clogged the filters, went to
bypass and eventually made their way to the bearing.

The glass fibers became embedded in the babbitt material,

scraping the stainless steel shaft (3-body abrasion) and
ultimately broke the shaft.

Further investigation at the plant site revealed that insulation

work that was being performed near the equipment had
somehow entered the lube system, resulting in the destruction
of the turbine.

28