Lubricant and antilubricant effects of water

Abstract

Studies  by other  authors  are reported,  that  deal  with  the antilubricam  effect  of  water in the friction between the polished surfaces of massive-structured minerals (quartz,  feldspar,  calcite), and the lubricating effect between layer - lattice minerals (micas, chlorite,  serpentin,  tale).  Results of tests are given, in which those effects were investigated in a polished quartz and in a mica. Those effects are considered to be due to an interlocking mechanism acting at the level of water molecules adsorbed as well as to an adhesion mechanism in which the shear strength of water adsorbed is larger for quartz than for mica. It is concluded that neither effect will be significant in practice in granular materials, in which massive-structured minerals predominate, and whose surface roughness usually exceeds the critical values. Nevertheless in materials with a significant part of layer-lattice minerals the lubricating effect of water may be of practical interest.