To avoid oil contamination of water streams in the case of an oil leak, water is sometimes used as lubricant instead of oil. In boundary lubricated bearings, e.g. Kaplan hub blade bearings, water is used together with some type of self-lubricating material. The boundary lubrication property of water is very poor and can also interfere with the lubricating properties of the self-lubricating materials. It can therefore be a challenge to achieve satisfied friction and wear properties when water is used in combination with self-lubricating materials.
The objectives of the study is to investigate how accelerated ageing of the lubricant affects:
- Friction and wear properties.
- The corrosive properties of the glycerol lubricant.
- Physical properties like viscosity.
