Since the late 1970's, the wet lubricant of choice for space mechanisms has been one of the family of synthetic perfluoro polyalkylether (PFPE) compounds, namely Fomblin Z-25 (Bray-815Z) or DuPont's Krytox 143xx series. While offering the advantages of extremely low vapor pressures and wide temperature ranges, these oils and derived greases have a complex chemistry compared to the more familiar natural and synthetic hydrocarbons. Many aerospace companies have conducted test programs to characterize the behavior of these compounds in a space environment, resulting in a large body of hard knowledge as well as considerable space lore concerning the suitability of the lubricants for particular applications and techniques for successful application. The facts are summarized and a few myths about the compounds are dispelled, and some performance guidelines for the mechanism design engineer are provided.
Experience with synthetic fluorinated fluid lubricants
1990-04-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
Air force experience with synthetic gas turbine lubricants
Engineering Index Backfile | 1955
|AIR FORCE EXPERIENCE WITH SYNTHETIC GAS TURBINE LUBRICANTS
SAE Technical Papers | 1955
|Experience with synthetic lubricants in aircraft power plants
Engineering Index Backfile | 1954
|EXPERIENCE WITH SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS IN AIRCRAFT POWER PLANTS
SAE Technical Papers | 1954
|Recent experience with synthetic hydrocarbon lubricants for spacecraft applications
British Library Online Contents | 1995
|