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Abstract
The contact area of the plate of a ball/plate (both consisting of hardened M-50 steel) sliding elastohydrodynamic contact run on trimethylolpropane triheptanoate with or without tricresylphosphate (TCP) additive was optically profiled periodically with a phase-locked interference microscope (PLIM), both before and after exposure to alcoholic hydrochloric acid. As scuffing was approached, the change of profile within the contact region changed much more rapidly by the acid probe and assumed a constant high value after scuffing. A new nonetching metallurgical phase was found in the scuff mark, which was apparently responsible for the high reactivity. Soaking the metal surfaces in the lubricant before running affected the subsequent reactivity.
The microscopic profile changes (sensitivity ± 30 Å in depth) involved primarily the small asperities of radius < 3 μm, while the larger ones were unaffected. Soaking the steel in TCP smoothed the fine structure of the surface profile, but increased the reactivity toward hydrochloric acid before sliding was started. This behavior parallels chemical changes of TCP-exposed surfaces observed previously.
It would appear that this type of examination could be used for screening of potentially scuff-resistant materials.
Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, October 18–20, 1983
Notes
Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, October 18–20, 1983