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Contaminants that find their way into the lubrication system of a mechanism can have significant adverse effects on the useful life of the antifriction bearings in the application. This paper provides a discussion of the more common types of solid and liquid lubricant contaminants and the possible sources from which they originate, plus the different modes of premature bearing damage that can result. Some case histories of applications plagued with contaminated lubrication problems and the resulting difficulties encountered with bearing performance are also reviewed. These views are primarily limited to past experience with tapered roller bearings manufactured from case hardened materials.