Specifications Database

"Before each test clean the ball and the disk with toluene, rinse with acetone, dry with filtered compressed air or high-purity nitrogen."*

This procedure applies to all HFRR configurations
regardless of load (200-1000 g) or frequency (50-100 Hz), as specimen contamination mechanisms remain identical.

ISO 12156-1 § 7.3

1. Solvents
• Toluene ≥ 99 % (CAS 108-88-3) – first wash, removes hydrocarbons.
• Acetone ≥ 99 % (CAS 67-64-1) – final rinse, removes toluene + traces.
⚠️
• Do NOT use chlorinated solvents – attack steel surface (ASTM D4172 § 8.2 Note 1).
• Do NOT use heptane alone – insufficient solvency for EP additives (IP 239 precision study 2018).
• Do NOT use isopropanol – leaves a film (CEC T-06-06 A3).
• Do NOT use white spirit – 15 % aromatics (CEC data 2004).

2. Ultrasonic bath
• 5 min, 40 kHz, 50 °C, toluene in fume hood or with appropriate PPE (A-P3 mask).
• 3 min, at controlled room temperature (20 ± 5 °C)
• Discard each solvent after 10 parts max (CEC T-06-06 § 5.2).

3. Drying
• 0.2 µm in-line filter on compressed air or N₂ 5.0.
• 30 s at 45° angle to avoid dust settling.

Paper tissue – Kimwipe/Whatman 105"(low-lint cellulose) is explicitly allowed by both standards and the CEC round-robin reports.
⚠️
• Microfiber left fluorinated residues (FTIR 1215 cm⁻¹ band) that shifted wear scar by +7 µm (RR-D02-1582 p. 18)
• Cotton cloth left fiber residues that increased wear scar by 4-6% in ASTM ILS D02-1045.

4. Storage
• PTFE box, N₂ atmosphere, use within 4 h (ASTM D6079-20 § 7.2 Note 3).

5. Inspection
• 50× microscope – no spot > 5 µm (ISO 12156-1:2018 § 7.3 Note 2).
• If spot seen, repeat step 2.

6. Non-reusable parts
• Ball: Discard if wear > 5 µm or fatigue ring visible (ISO § 6.1).
• Disk: Discard if Ra > 0.02 µm or HV 30 outside 190–210 (ISO § 6.2).

Disk circularity must be < 0.5 µm (ISO § 6.2)

7. Weekly machine clean-up
• Bath, holder, shaft – toluene + acetone + Kimwipe wipe.
• Linear rail – Fomblin Y25 oil (no silicone).
• Seal – replace every 500 tests (CEC T-06-06 B4).

"Before each test, thoroughly clean all four balls with petroleum ether, rinse with acetone, and dry with a lint-free cloth or filtered compressed air."*

This procedure applies to all 4-Ball configurations regardless of load or test duration, as specimen contamination mechanisms remain identical.

ASTM D4172-21 § 8.2

1. Solvents
• Petroleum ether (ligroin) 35-60 °C boiling range (CAS 8032-32-4) – first wash, removes lubricants and hydrocarbons.
• Acetone ≥ 99 % (CAS 67-64-1) – final rinse, removes petroleum ether + traces.
⚠️
• Do NOT use chlorinated solvents – attack steel surface (ASTM D4172 § 8.2 Note 1).
• Do NOT use heptane alone – insufficient solvency for EP additives (IP 239 precision study 2018).
• Do NOT use isopropanol – leaves a film (CEC T-06-06 A3).
• Do NOT use white spirit – 15 % aromatics (CEC data 2004).

2. Ultrasonic bath
• 3 min, 40 kHz, room temperature (20 ± 5 °C), petroleum ether.
• 2 min, room temperature, acetone.
• Discard each solvent after 20 balls max (ASTM D4172 § 8.2).

3. Drying
• 0.2 µm in-line filter on compressed air or N₂ 5.0.
• 20 s per ball, rotating to ensure complete drying.

Paper tissue – Kimwipe or equivalent low-lint laboratory tissue is explicitly allowed by ASTM D4172 § 8.2 Note 2 and IP 239 § 8.2 Note 3.
⚠️
• Microfiber left fluorinated residues (FTIR 1215 cm⁻¹ band) that shifted wear scar by +7 µm (RR-D02-1582 p. 18)
• Cotton cloth left fiber residues that increased wear scar by 4-6% in ASTM ILS D02-1045.

4. Storage
• Sealed container with desiccant, use within 24 h (ASTM D4172 § 8.2 Note 3).
• Avoid touching ball surface with bare hands – wear powder-free nitrile gloves.

5. Inspection
• 10× magnification – no visible contamination or surface defects (ASTM D4172 § 7.1).
• If contamination seen, repeat step 2.

6. Non-reusable parts
• Balls: Discard after each test – single use only (ASTM D4172 § 7.1).
• Test cup: Clean and reuse if no pitting; discard if surface damage visible (ASTM D4172 § 7.2).
• Ball pot: Discard if worn race visible or Rockwell C < 64 (ASTM D4172 § 7.3).

Ball diameter must be 12.700 ± 0.0127 mm (0.5000 ± 0.0005 in) with Grade 25 or better sphericity (ASTM D4172 § 7.1).

7. Weekly machine clean-up
• Test chamber, spindle, collet – petroleum ether + acetone + Kimwipe wipe.
• Drive shaft bearing – light mineral oil ISO VG 32 (no synthetic oils).
• Thermometer well – replace thermal fluid every 100 tests (ASTM D4172 § 9.3).

Please consult these HFFR standards, not only for the parameters of testing, but also for 2 important aspects of the test procedure:

• Cleaning procedure of the test samples: ball and disk

• Cleaning procedure of the liquid container and the upper ball holder

Please find the important parameters of the Tester. It represents the summary of the standards: ASTM D6079 and ISO 12156.

Parameter	ISO 12156-1 HFRR	ASTM D6079 HFRR
Measured Parameter	Wear scar on ball	Wear scar on ball
Fluid Temperature	60°C	25°C or 60°C (60°C preferred unless volatility or degradation is a problem)
Fluid Volume	2 ml	2 ml
Air Humidity	-	> 30% RH
Load	200 g	200 g
Duration	75 min	75 min
Ball	Reciprocating, 50 Hz / 1 mm stroke	Reciprocating, 50 Hz / 1 mm stroke
Diameter	6 mm	6 mm
Material	AISI E-52100 chromium alloy steel	AISI E-52100 chromium alloy steel
Finish	Ra < 0.05 µm	Ra < 0.05 µm
Hardness	Rockwell C 58-66	Rockwell C 58-66
Disk	Stationary	Stationary
Material	AISI E-52100 chromium alloy steel, annealed, turned, lapped and polished	AISI E-52100 chromium alloy steel, annealed, turned, lapped and polished
Finish	Ra < 0.02 µm	Ra < 0.02 µm
Hardness	Vickers HV 30: 190-210	Vickers HV 30: 190-210
Velocity	0.1 m/s average, reciprocating	0.1 m/s average, reciprocating
Contact	Contact surface is submerged	Contact surface is submerged

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