阅读说明：本技术 滚动轴承、机械元件及固体膜形成方法 (Rolling bearing, machine element, and solid film forming method ) 是由 山川和芳 于 2017-06-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种滚动轴承、机械元件及固体膜形成方法,该方法是在滚动轴承的轴承结构元件上形成固体膜的方法。使包含氟化物和不具有官能团的润滑剂的溶液作为液状膜附着于轴承结构元件,所述氟化物将甲基丙烯酸3-(三甲氧基甲硅烷基)丙基酯、六氟丙烯及甲基丙烯酸甲酯作为成分。通过使附着的所述液状膜固化,而在轴承结构元件上形成固体膜。(The invention provides a rolling bearing, a mechanical element and a solid film forming method. A solution containing a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate and a lubricant having no functional group is attached to a bearing structural element as a liquid film. Forming a solid film on the bearing structural element by curing the attached liquid film.)

1. A solid film forming method of forming a solid film on at least one bearing structural element of a rolling bearing having, as the bearing structural element, an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements provided between the inner ring and the outer ring, the method comprising:

attaching a solution containing a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as components and a lubricant having no functional group as a liquid film to at least one of the bearing structural elements, the fluoride being present at a higher ratio than the lubricant; and

forming a solid film on at least one of the bearing structural elements by curing the attached liquid film.

2. The solid film forming method according to claim 1,

the lubricant is composed of a fluoropolymer.

3. The solid film forming method according to claim 1,

the solution is obtained by adding the fluoride and the lubricant to a solvent,

the lubricant is composed of a perfluoropolyether,

the solvent is an ether containing at least one of ethyl nonafluoroisobutyl ether and ethyl nonafluorobutyl ether.

4. A rolling bearing having an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring as bearing structural elements,

a solid film obtained by the solid film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is formed on at least one of the bearing structural elements.

5. A method for forming a solid film on a structural member of a mechanical element including the structural member in rolling contact, the method comprising:

attaching a solution containing a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as components and a lubricant having no functional group to the structural member as a liquid film, the fluoride being present at a higher ratio than the lubricant; and

And forming a solid film on the structural member by curing the attached liquid film.

6. A mechanical element comprising structural components that make rolling contact, wherein,

a solid film obtained by the solid film forming method according to claim 5 is formed on the structural member.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a rolling bearing, a machine element, and a solid film forming method.

Background

When a rolling bearing is used in a vacuum environment or a corrosive environment in which grease or lubricating oil cannot be used, a coating film of a solid lubricant is applied to a bearing component such as an inner ring or an outer ring. Conventionally, for this coating, for example, a soft metal such as gold, silver, or lead, or a layered structure substance such as graphite or molybdenum disulfide has been used.

When the coating layer using the solid lubricant is formed on the rolling bearing, a small amount of the solid lubricant peels off during rotation of the bearing, thereby contributing to lubrication. In this case, the amount of dust emitted from the rolling bearing is smaller than in the case of using grease or lubricating oil, but the application thereof is still difficult in an environment where high cleanliness is required. Therefore, a rolling bearing in which a solid film of a fluorinated urethane polymer compound is formed on a bearing component has been proposed (see, for example, japanese patent laid-open No. 9-137830).

According to the technique described in the above-mentioned japanese patent application laid-open No. 9-137830, the rolling bearing can be suitably used in a vacuum environment, a corrosive environment, and a clean environment in which grease or lubricating oil cannot be used.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a rolling bearing and a machine element capable of reducing dust emission and improving lubricity, and a solid film forming method for manufacturing such a rolling bearing and a machine element.

A rolling bearing according to one aspect of the present invention is a rolling bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring as bearing structural elements, wherein a solid film of a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as components is formed on at least one of the bearing structural elements, and a lubricant having no functional group is dispersedly added to the solid film.

Drawings

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a rolling bearing according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the general formula (chemical formula) of 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a general formula (chemical formula) of hexafluoropropylene.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a general formula (chemical formula) of methyl methacrylate.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view of the solid film.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory view of an apparatus for dust test.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing test conditions.

Fig. 8 is a graph showing the average dust raising amount (counts/cf) for 20 hours.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing the time (i.e., dust life) for a dust amount exceeding 10 levels.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a solid film forming method.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a rolling bearing according to the present invention. The rolling bearing 10 includes an inner ring 11, an outer ring 12, a plurality of rolling elements (13) and a cage 14, and in the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the rolling elements are balls 13. That is, the rolling bearing 10 shown in fig. 1 is a ball bearing. The cage 14 is an annular member that holds the plurality of balls 13 at intervals in the circumferential direction. These inner ring 11, outer ring 12, balls 13, and cage 14 are referred to as bearing components, respectively. In the present embodiment, a solid film 15 is formed on the surface of each of these bearing structural elements.

The inner race 11, the outer race 12, the balls 13, and the cage 14 of the present embodiment are formed of a material having corrosion resistance. For example, martensitic stainless steel, austenitic stainless steel, or ceramic material may be used. In addition to the corrosion resistant material, the inner ring 11, the outer ring 12, the balls 13, and the cage 14 may be carbon steel such as bearing steel. The holder 14 may be made of brass or a synthetic resin material.

The solid film 15 is formed on the entire surface of each of the inner ring 11, the outer ring 12, the balls 13, and the cage 14. The solid film 15 is a film formed of a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as monomer components.

FIG. 2 shows a general formula (chemical formula) of 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate. Fig. 3 shows a general formula (chemical formula) of hexafluoropropylene. Fig. 4 shows a general formula (chemical formula) representing the structure of methyl methacrylate.

A lubricant having no functional group is dispersedly added to the solid film 15, and the lubricant can flow from the solid film 15. The lubricant is composed of a fluoropolymer, and in the present embodiment, perfluoropolyether (hereinafter, also referred to as PFPE oil) is used. Such a lubricant (fluoropolymer) having no functional group, which is composed of a fluorine-based lubricant (fluorine-based lubricating oil), is dispersedly added to the solid film 15. The thickness of the solid film 15 is, for example, about one to several micrometers.

A method of forming the solid film 15 will be described. The inner ring 11, the outer ring 12, the balls 13, and the cage 14 are degreased, and are formed in a state where they are assembled. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the rolling bearing 10 is assembled and degreased.

A solution described below is prepared, and the rolling bearing 10 in an assembled state is immersed in the solution, and the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 12 are rotated relative to each other several times. This makes it possible to adhere a liquid film (i.e., a film of the solution) to the entire surfaces of the inner ring 11, the outer ring 12, the balls 13, and the cage 14 (adhesion treatment).

The solution is a solution containing a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as monomer components and added with a lubricant (perfluoropolyether) as a fluoropolymer. The fluoride has a functional group, whereas the lubricant does not have a functional group. This solution is further described. Fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene and methyl methacrylate as monomer components was used as a first solute. Perfluoropolyether (PFPE oil) having no functional group was used as the second solute. The solution is obtained by adding the second solute to a solution obtained by diluting the first solute with a solvent. The solvent is a fluorine solvent, and specifically, a mixed solution of ethyl nonafluoroisobutyl ether and ethyl nonafluorobutyl ether.

In the solution, the first solute is preferably 0.5 to 5% by weight, while the second solute is preferably 0.1 to 2% by weight. If the first solute is less than 0.5 wt%, the formed solid film 15 becomes a thin and flexible film, and the abrasion resistance effect may be reduced. On the other hand, if the first solute exceeds 5 weight percent, the bearing structural elements are strongly bonded to each other via the solid film 15, and it may be difficult to release the bonding. Therefore, it is more preferable to set the first solute to 1 to 3 weight percent. Further, if the second solute is less than 0.1 weight percent, the lubricating effect of the lubricant may be low. On the other hand, when the second solute exceeds 2% by weight, the adhesiveness of the formed solid film 15 may be reduced. Therefore, it is more preferable to set the second solute to 0.3 to 1 weight percent.

In order to ensure the adhesiveness of the solid film 15, the first solute (the fluoride) and the second solute (perfluoropolyether) contained in the solution are preferably blended more than the first solute than the second solute. That is, the mixing ratio of the first solute to the second solute is preferably set higher for the first solute than for the second solute, and is preferably set to a mixing ratio of (first solute: second solute) ═ 4: 1, for example.

Then, the solution thus mixed is attached to the bearing component as a liquid film (attaching step). In the present embodiment, the case where the entire rolling bearing 10 is immersed in the solution is described, but a liquid film may be deposited on the bearing component by another means. Further, the liquid film may be applied to each of the bearing component elements in a scattered state without being assembled into the rolling bearing 10.

Then, the liquid film attached to the bearing structural element is cured. Specifically, the rolling bearing 10 is heated (held at 100 ℃ for 60 minutes in a thermostatic bath) to cause a curing reaction of the coating film (liquid film). Thereby, the solid film 15 is formed on the surface of the bearing structural element (film forming step). The temperature set for curing the liquid film may be 50 to 150 ℃. However, the temperature should be below the tempering temperature of the bearing structural element.

As described above, the solid film forming method for forming the solid film 15 on the bearing structural element of the rolling bearing 10 includes the adhesion step and the film forming step, as shown in fig. 10. In the adhesion step, a solution containing a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as monomer components and a lubricant (PFPE oil) having no functional group is adhered as a liquid film to the bearing structural element. In the film forming step, the adhered liquid film is cured to form the solid film 15 on the bearing structural element.

The rolling bearing 10 manufactured by this method includes, as bearing component elements, an inner ring 11, an outer ring 12, a plurality of balls 13 and a cage 14 provided between the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 12. On these bearing structural elements, a solid film 15 of a fluoride containing 3- (trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate, hexafluoropropylene, and methyl methacrylate as monomer components was formed. A lubricant of a flowable fluoropolymer having no functional group is dispersedly added to the solid film 15.

The solid film 15 obtained as described above has a structure in which molecules are bonded to each other by a curing reaction. In particular, as shown in fig. 5, the Si group of the solid film 15 is bonded to the hydroxyl group (OH group) of the bearing structural element (base material M), so that the adhesion of the solid film 15 to the bearing structural element is increased, and the generation of dust from the solid film 15 can be reduced. Note that the bearing structural element usually has a hydroxyl group (OH group). Further, the solid film 15 is strongly bonded by siloxane bonding and covers the surface of the bearing structural element, so that it is difficult to peel off and dust emission can be reduced. In fig. 5, the left side shows the part before the curing reaction, and the right side shows the part after the curing reaction. Since the lubricant of the fluoropolymer having no functional group is dispersedly added to the solid film 15 in a flowable state, that is, the lubricant of the fluoropolymer has no functional group and is therefore flowable. This allows the lubricant to seep out of the solid film 15 and contribute to lubrication of the rolling bearing 10, thereby improving the lubricity.

In the present embodiment, the lubricant is composed of a fluoropolymer having no functional group, and therefore the lubricating performance of the rolling bearing 10 can be improved. Further, the compounding ratio of the fluoride (the first solute) is higher than that of the fluoropolymer (the second solute). This enhances the effect of improving the adhesion of the solid film 15 to the bearing structural element. As described above, in the solid film 15 of the present embodiment, the base resin is a fluorine-based (the fluoride), and a fluoropolymer having no functional group is added as a lubricant (instead of the conventional solid lubricant).

In the solid film forming method of the present embodiment, the solution used is a solution obtained by adding a fluoride (the first solute) and a lubricant (the second solute, i.e., perfluoropolyether) to a solvent. The solvent is an ether comprising at least one of ethyl nonafluoroisobutyl ether and ethyl nonafluorobutyl ether. In this case, two solvents for the fluoride (for the first solute) and the lubricant (for the second solute, i.e., for the perfluoropolyether) may not be used.

Next, the dust emission life of the formed solid film 15 will be described. Here, example 1 and conventional example 1 are listed. Example 1 as in the above embodiment, the assembled rolling bearing was degreased and cleaned, a liquid film formed of the solution was deposited (deposition step), and the liquid film was solidified (film formation step). In the degreasing cleaning, cleaning was performed for 1 minute with an ultrasonic cleaning machine using hexane and acetone, respectively. The liquid film was attached by immersing the rolling bearing in the solution for 1 minute. The curing was performed by firing at 100 ℃ for 60 minutes. In example 1, with respect to the solution, the first solute (the fluoride) was set to 2 weight percent, the second solute (perfluoropolyether having no functional group) was set to 0.5 weight percent, and the compounding ratio between the first solute and the second solute was set to 4: 1. conventional example 1 is a rolling bearing having a solid film of a fluorinated polyurethane polymer compound formed therein as described in the background art (Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 9-137830).

The rolling bearings of example 1 and conventional example 1 were mounted on the device shown in fig. 6, respectively, and a dust emission test was performed. The arrows in fig. 6 indicate the flow of air (purge air) through the bearing inward to the particle counter. The test conditions are shown in FIG. 7.

Fig. 8 is a graph showing the average dust raising amount (counts/cf) 20 hours after the start of the test. Fig. 9 is a graph showing the time (i.e., dust life) for a dust amount exceeding 10 levels. As shown in fig. 8, the average dust raising amount in example 1 was lower than that in conventional example 1, which is a preferable result. As shown in fig. 9, the dust emission life of example 1 is longer than that of conventional example 1, which is a preferable result.

As described above, in the rolling bearing 10 (example 1) of the present embodiment, the adhesiveness of the solid film 15 to the bearing structural element becomes high. Thus, the dust generated by the solid film 15 is reduced. Further, according to the results of the above test (see fig. 9), the solid film 15 can have high durability. The lubricating oil seeps out of the solid film 15 and can contribute to lubrication of the rolling bearing 10, and lubricity can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the inner ring 11, the outer ring 12, the balls 13, and the cage 14 are assembled, and immersed in the solution to form the solid film 15. However, the rolling bearing 10 may be assembled by immersing the bearing structural member in the solution in a state before assembly to form the solid films 15 on the bearing structural member. The case where the solid film 15 is formed on all of the inner race 11, the outer race 12, the balls 13, and the holder 14 is described. However, the solid film 15 may be formed on at least one bearing structural element. In this case, the solution may be attached to at least one bearing structural element as a liquid film, and then the liquid film may be cured. Then, the rolling bearing 10 may be assembled as a finished product. Further, although the rolling bearing 10 shown in fig. 1 includes the cage 14, the present invention may be applied to a rolling bearing in which the cage 14 is omitted.

The solid film 15 may not be provided on the entire bearing structural element, and may be a part thereof. For example, in the case of the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 12, the solid film 15 may be provided at least on the raceway surface where the rolling elements (balls 13) are in rolling contact. When the holder 14 is in sliding contact with a part of the inner ring 11 or the outer ring 12, the solid film 15 may be provided on the part. Further, the solid film 15 may be provided only on the surface (whole) of the rolling elements (balls 13) in the bearing structural element.

In the solid film forming method, a solid film may be formed on a component of a mechanical element other than the rolling bearing shown in fig. 1. For example, the mechanical element for forming the solid film on the structural member by the solid film forming method may be a linear motion element such as a ball screw or a linear guide including a structural member which is in rolling contact.

The embodiments disclosed above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. That is, the rolling bearing of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

According to the rolling bearing (mechanical element) of the present invention, the adhesion of the solid film to the bearing structural element (structural member) becomes high, and the generation of dust by the solid film can be reduced. The lubricant can seep out of the solid film to contribute to lubrication of the rolling bearing (machine element), and the lubricity can be improved. According to the solid film forming method of the present invention, the rolling bearing (machine element) as described above can be manufactured.