XPS investigations of tribofilms formed on CrN coatings

Action of lubrication additives in the case of uncoated steel surfaces, including the type and mechanism of tribofilm formation is well known and understood. However, contact type of tribofilms which might form under the tribological contact between CrN coated surfaces, remains more or less unexplored. The aim of this investigation was to study the type of tribofilms formed on the CrN coated steel samples subjected to lubricated reciprocating sliding contact under different contact conditions Contact surface and tribofilms formed were studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Sample surfaces were first imaged by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine areas of tribofilm formation as well as areas not affected by tribological contact. In these areas survey and high resolution (HR) XPS measurements were performed to obtain information about surface chemistry and oxidation states of the constituent elements. It was found that differences between different samples, observed by the XPS measurements, may reflect differences in chemistry of tribofilms formed under different contact conditions.