Influence of oil contamination on vibration and wear in ball and roller bearings

Purpose - This work aims to compare the vibration behavior of roller and ball bearings operating with clean and quartz-contaminated lubricants. Wear influence on vibration of both bearing types was also compared. Design/methodology/approach - Experimental tests were run in clean and contaminated mineral oil. Contaminant quartz particles of 59 Am average size were tested in three concentration levels: 0.05, 0.25 and 0.5 g/l. Radial vibration of the roller bearing was measured by accelerometer and wear was analyzed through microscopy of the surfaces and optical spectrometry of oils. Findings - Differences in vibration response among both bearing types were observed regarding the root mean square value of vibration data in the high frequency band (600-10,000 Hz); differences in wear influence on vibration were also identified and correlated to the differences in the tribological features. Originality/value - This paper presents a methodology for detecting contamination and wear of roller bearings by applying a simple procedure of vibration monitoring and analysis.