A film thickness correction for shear-thinning in rolling elastohydrodynamic (EHD) contacts has been available for about 8 years that uses parameters obtained from flow curves. Newly acquired shear-thinning data from experiment and simulation allow for a more narrow and more realistic range of parameters for ordinary lubricant base oils. Line contact film thickness calculations were performed over a wide range of conditions to arrive at a new film thickness correction that includes the sliding effect. This correction may be applied to any classical Newtonian prediction of film thickness for single-component liquids having ordinary power-law response to high shear rate or stress.
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