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Simulation of Hydrocarbon Oil Contamination at the Head–Disk Interface Using Molecular Dynamics

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Abstract

Current hard disk drives use hydrocarbon-based oils to lubricate the actuator arm pivot and the fluid dynamic bearing spindle motor. At elevated drive temperatures, hydrocarbon oil molecules escape from the fluid dynamic bearing motor and pivot actuator by evaporation and aerosoling, entering into the drive air stream, and contaminating the head–disk interface. In this paper, we study the transfer mechanism of hydrocarbon molecules (n-alkane: C24H50 and C36H74) and disk lubricant (Zdol-PFPE) molecules at the head–disk interface using molecular dynamics simulation. A “two-step” transfer mechanism is postulated: Airborne hydrocarbon molecules condense first onto the disk surface and then transfer by evaporation to the slider surface. The numerical results obtained are in agreement with the assumed hypothesis of the transfer mechanism.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Prof. Vlado Lubarda and Prof. Gaurav Arya for their valuable advice in the modeling of hydrocarbon and lubricant transfer simulation. We would also like to thank Western Digital for providing an internship opportunity for Young Woo Seo in San Jose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Memory and Recording Research, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Young Woo Seo & Frank E. Talke

  2. Western Digital Corporation, San Jose, CA, USA

    Andrey Ovcharenko

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  1. Young Woo Seo
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  2. Andrey Ovcharenko
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  3. Frank E. Talke
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Correspondence to Young Woo Seo.

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Seo, Y.W., Ovcharenko, A. & Talke, F.E. Simulation of Hydrocarbon Oil Contamination at the Head–Disk Interface Using Molecular Dynamics. Tribol Lett 61, 28 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-016-0648-0

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