| Abstract: | The addition of various extreme pressure and anti-wear additives to lubricating oil is an important and effective way of reducing friction and wear. The application of chemico-thermal treatments to material surfaces is another way to improve the tribological behaviour of rubbing pairs. The synergistic effects on the tribological behaviour of a tricresyl phosphate oil additive together with sulphurised, nitrided and oxy-nitrided surfaces of 1045 steel were systematically studied on a ball-on-disc test machine. Good load bearing capacity and reduced friction and wear was obtained as a result. As well as presenting the promising results of this work here, the mechanism of this synergistic effect is discussed, based on micro-analysis of the surface films by AES and XPS. |
