Method and apparatus for lubricating a magnetic disk continuously in a recording file

Magnetic recording apparatus, comprising

• magnetic recording media means including recording surface means having an affinity for organic molecules,
• means for inducing flow of an air stream to said recording surface means,
• a supply of a vaporizable organic lubricant material in said air stream at a location that is spaced from said recording surface means, and
• means ensuring that the operating temperature of said lubricant supply is lower than the operating temperature of said recording surface means,
• such that vaporization of said lubricant occurs in a manner to effect vapor transfer of said lubricant, by operation of Langmuir kinetics, from said supply to said recording surface means in order to maintain a mono-molecular lubricant layer on said recording surface means.

Magnetic recording apparatus, comprising

• magnetic recording media means including recording surface means having an affinity for organic molecules, said recording surface having thereon a mono-molecular layer of a vaporizable organic lubricant,
• means for inducing flow of an air stream to said recording surface means,
• bulk lubricant means in said air stream at a location that is spaced from said recording surface means, said bulk lubricant means comprising a single phase mixture of
• said vaporizable organic lubricant, and
• a diluent having a vapor pressure that is lower than the vapor pressure of said lubricant,
• said bulk lubricant means having a vapor pressure that is lower than the vapor pressure of said organic lubricant,
• to thereby provide a vapor pressure for said bulk lubricant means that is substantially the same as the vapor pressure of said mono-molecular layer on said recording surface,
• such that vaporization of said bulk lubricant means occurs in a manner to effect vapor transfer of said lubricant from said bulk lubricant means to said recording surface means in order to maintain said mono-molecular lubricant layer on said recording surface means.

Magnetic recording apparatus, comprising

• magnetic recording media means including a recording surface having an affinity for organic molecules,
• a mono-molecular layer of an organic lubricant on said recording surface,
• means for inducing flow of an air stream to said recording surface means,
• organic lubricant supply means in said air stream at a location that is spaced from said recording surface means, said lubricant supply means comprising
• a mass of granules having a total surface area at least 1000 times greater than the surface area of said recording surface, and
• a mono-molecular layer of said organic lubricant covering the surface area of said granules,
• such that vaporization of said lubricant layer on said granules occurs in a manner to effect vapor transfer of said lubricant, by operation of Langmuir kinetics, from said granules to said recording surface in order to maintain said mono-molecular lubricant layer on said recording surface.