Guidelines and practical applications for lubrication in vacuum

The many applications for lubrication in vacuum comprise a wide range of requirements. These requirements include temperature, cleanliness, load, speed, position accuracy, and life. In order to select the optimum lubricant, the selection process must be based upon the application requirements.There is also a wide range of approaches to select from for lubrication in vacuum. These include fluid lubricants with containment and replenishment systems, fluids applied over dry lubricants, and a range of dry lubricant coatings and composites.An attempt will be made to show the lubricant selection process based upon application requirements. Many specific examples will be given, including some bad choices that should be avoided. The intent will be to provide some useful information for solving today’s needs for lubrication.