science

Oilite

Oilite is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oilite rather than just read about it. In short: Oilite is a brand of self-lubricating bearing that is made from metal alloys with pores that channel lubricants between the bearing itself and the shaft. It is manufactured from different types of material.

Key takeaways

Oilite belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oilite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oilite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oilite is a brand of self-lubricating bearing that is made from metal alloys with pores that channel lubricants between the bearing itself and the shaft. It is manufactured from different types of material. Traditional Oilite is mostly made of copper with approximately 10% tin and up to 1% iron, while both Super Oilite and Super Oilite 16 are primarily made of iron with about 20% copper and, in the case of the latter, up to 1% graphite. Oilite is currently a registered trademark of Beemer Precision, Inc.

History One of the core engineers of Chrysler, Carl Breer, had an idea to pack graphite with metal in 1927, despite the fact that GM earlier failed to make a bushing from compressed copper and graphite. He hired engineer William Sherwood and metallurgist Bill Caulkins, who succeeded in sintering copper, tin and graphite in a furnace without oxygen. Oilite was developed by Chrysler in 1930, originally as bearings for water pumps and spring shackles, and without oil as the porous filter element in gasoline filters. Chrysler sold approximately 500,000 Oilite bearings in 1930 and approximately 2.5 million the next year. The Super Oilite was introduced in 1932. Overall sales of all Oilite material in 1932 was seven million; this rose to 18 million in 1933. Oilite was a profit center for Chrysler during this time. As of 2009, the Oilite trademark belongs to Beemer Precision.

Composition Oilite is manufactured using powder metallurgy so that tiny pores are present in the bearings. The pores are then vacuum impregnated with an oil to improve the material's bearing ability. The material holds approximately 20% oil by volume. The most common lubricant is SAE 30 oil. Due to the porous structure, machining Oilite poses a special situation. To machine Oilite, the cutting tool must be—and stay—sharp; therefore, tungsten carbide is often used. The sharp tool preserves the open-pore structure, because a dull tool would smear the material and close up the pores that are on the surface adjacent to the journal, which is where the lubrication needs to be. Reaming is not recommended, but can be done with an extremely sharp tool. Honing and grinding should not be performed on any surface that is in contact with the journal as these processes always smear the pores.

Types The different types of Oilite bearings vary by the metal alloy used, not by the type of oil with which they are impregnated. Many types of oil can be impregnated to facilitate various applications, such as high and low speed, high and low load, various temperature ranges, food-grade applications, and plastic compatibility.

Oilite Oilite material is the most widely used of all the types of Oilite bearing materials. Standards that encompass the Oilite material are: ASTM B-438-95A Grade 1 Type II, MIL-B-5687D Type 1 Grade 1, CT-1000-K26, SAE 841, and old SAE standard Type 1 Class A.

Oilite Plus Oilite Plus is the same bronze alloy as an Oilite, impregnated with turbine oil and fine particles of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). This reduces the friction by approximately 17% versus standard Oilite material. This material is usually used in applications that exhibit mixed-film or boundary condition lubrication. Situations where this type of lubrication is encountered commonly include oscillating motions, slow speeds, intermittent use, pulsating loads, and uneven loads.

Super Oilite Super Oilite is an iron-based material that is harder, stronger, and cheaper than Oilite. It is rated for slower speeds, but it can handle higher loads. Common applications include farm equipment, winches, sheaves, conveyors, and pulleys. Applicable standards are: ASTM B-439-95 Grade 4, MIL-B-5687D Type 2 Grade 4, SAE 863, and old SAE standard Type 3. Super Oilite 16 is Super Oilite that has been heat treated to a hardness greater than HRC 50. This material is used for extreme loads and slow oscillating motions. Common applications include cranes, hoists, machine presses, and conveyors. The applicable standard is ASTM B-426 Grade 4 Type 2.

Comparison

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oilite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oilite claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oilite before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oilite ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oilite

In research: Oilite appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oilite in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oilite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bronze, Ferrous alloys, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oilite outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oilite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oilite means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oilite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oilite in simple terms?

Why does Oilite matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oilite?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oilite.