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Lubrication of moving parts becomes less efficient in those areas where close fit limits the amount of lubricant to a very thin oil film. Journal bearings are particularly vulnerable in this respect. To test the degree of wear, a radioisotope technique was applied in which shafts and bearings were deuteron activated. Not only did the tests prove sufficiently sensitive to determine the full range of hydrodynamic lubrication, but they also identified the transition point at which poor lubrication caused journal-bearing wear. It was also found that materials of the shaft and bearings greatly influenced the amount of wear.