Tribology & Lubrication Technology
August 2022

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FEATURES

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS (STLE MEMBER BONUS CONTENT)
Wind turbine lubrication challenges
White etching crack formation in wind turbine bearings can be related to electrical current, lubricant chemistry and steel cleanliness.

LUBRICATION FUNDAMENTALS
Crude oil to base stocks to base oils to lubricating oils
The refining process has improved throughout the history of crude oil use, with base stock quality continuing to benefit from new technology.

20 MINUTES
20 Minutes With Sean O’Malley
This vice president at Xaerus Performance Fluids discusses global compressor OEMs and lubricant technology.

20 MINUTES
20 Minutes With Meghan Kupratis
This graduate student in biomedical engineering discusses her research in articular cartilage tribology and how she got interested in the field.

COVER STORY

The long road toward oil-free metalworking fluids
Metalworking fluids in general use less oil than they used to, but cost factors and a lack of effective water-soluble additives for high-demand applications are keeping oil in the picture for now.

BASE OILS 

Ethylene-propylene oligomer synthetic base oil
Demand increases annually for synthetic base oils with superior performance compared to mineral base oils.

TECH BEAT I 

Offshore wind energy’s impact on energy costs
The benefits of available offshore wind energy in New England outweigh the risks.

TECH BEAT II 

Sustainable jet fuel based on lignin
Lignin-derived jet fuel displays a superior heat of combustion, higher seal swell properties and a much lower aromatic content compared to Jet-A.

TECH BEAT III 

Potential for metal oxide catalysts to facilitate sustainable processes
Hydrogen formation can be catalyzed through a process known as intercalation.

SOUNDING BOARD 

Condition monitoring and oil analysis
Readers share their insights on condition monitoring and oil analysis.

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