The shear stresses in an elastohydrodynamic oil film have been calculated. In the inlet region they are of the order of 107 and in the outlet 109 dyn/cm2. While such stresses do not affect mineral oils they are liable to cause breakdown of polymers in multigrade oils. To test this film thickness measurements were carried out in a four-disc machine with a range of polymer solutions. It was found that the degree of viscosity loss varied greatly; some polymer solutions showed no loss whilst others merely exhibited their base oil viscosity. By measuring the viscosity of samples scraped from the disc surfaces it was possible to divide the observed viscosity loss into permanent and temporary components.
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