In this study, kapok fiber powder (KFP) was evaluated as a wicking material for the application of mechanical lubricants. KFP had lengths ranging from several microns to 2 mm, with part of the hollow lumen being compressed. Experiments showed that the oil sorption capacity of KFP for mineral oil and PAO4 was 21.9 g/g, and 19.9 g/g, respectively. The oil release behavior of oil-impregnated KFP was quantitatively evaluated by a device proposed in the present study to simulate the usage of lubricant in bearings. The results indicated a two-step oil release process including a rapid release phase and a slow release phase. The cumulative oil release increased with an increasing oil/fiber ratio and temperature. The release mechanism of oil-impregnated KFP was further investigated by release kinetics models which demonstrated that the oil release followed Fickian diffusion and could be described by the Rigter–Peppas model. These results are proposed to provide a reference for the evaluation of the oil release performance of oil-impregnated wicking materials when they are applied in mechanical bearing field.

在这项研究中，木棉纤维粉（KFP）被评估为用于机械润滑剂应用的芯吸材料。KFP的长度在几微米到2毫米之间，部分空心管腔被压缩。实验表明，KFP对矿物油和PAO4的吸油量分别为21.9 g / g和19.9 g / g。通过本研究中提出的模拟轴承中润滑剂的使用的装置，定量评估了浸油KFP的释油行为。结果表明，油的释放过程分为两步，包括快速释放阶段和缓慢释放阶段。累积的油释放量随油/纤维比和温度的增加而增加。通过释放动力学模型进一步研究了油浸KFP的释放机理，该模型表明油的释放遵循Fickian扩散，并且可以用Rigter–Peppas模型来描述。这些结果为评估含油芯吸材料在机械轴承领域的脱油性能提供了参考。