The Elastohydrodynamic Properties of Lubricants in Refrigerant Environments©

Abstract

The elastohydrodynamic (EHD) film-forming properties of several refrigeration oils placed in pressurized refrigerant environments were investigated by an interferometric EHD tester equipped with a pressurized vessel. It has been shown that the oils with dissolved refrigerants formed EHD films at the point of contact in the same manner as lubricant base fluids. It was also found that greater amounts of dissolved refrigerant in the oil decreased not only the viscosity but also the viscosity-pressure coefficient of the oil. In this paper, the authors describe a method to predict the viscosity-pressure coefficient of oils with dissolved refrigerants.