Disadvantages of Solid Lubrication

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Disadvantages of Solid Lubrication

1. Poor self-healing properties. A broken solid film tends to shorten the useful life of the lubricant.
2. Poor heat dissipation. This condition is especially true with polymers due to their low thermal conductivities.
3. Higher coefficient of friction and wear than hydrodynamically lubricated bearings.
4. Color associated with solids may be undesirable.
5. Difficult if not impossible to feed into a lubrication system.
6. Storage or service life is limited.
7. Thermal expansion can be very different to the metals that are being lubricated. Therefore, loss of desireable mechanical clearance will occur during operation at elevated or reduced temperatures.