Modeling the pressure-density relationship in thin films at asperity contacts in mixed lubrication

A grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation was used to model the pressure-density relationship in thin films that may exist at asperity contact regions in mixed lubrication. The resultant density-pressure relationship was compared to the traditional Dowson-Higginson model. The lubricant modeled was n-decane. At low pressures, the molecular model predicted densities similar to those predicted by the traditional Dowson-Higginson relationship. However, based on the low pressure data trends, the solutions were expected to diverge at high pressures with the molecularly modeled density being less than that predicted by the traditional model. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the World Tribology Congress III (Washington, DC 9/12-16/2005).