Understanding how an adaptive integrated interface between lubricant additives and solid contacts works will enable improving the wear and friction of moving engine components. This work represents the comprehensive characterization of compositional and structural orientation at the sliding interface from the perspective of surface/interface tribochemistry. The integrated interface of a lubricant additive-solid resulting from the friction testing of Graphite-like carbon (GLC) and PVD-CrN coated rings sliding against cast iron under boundary lubrication was studied. The results indicate that in the case of the CrN/cast iron pair the antiwear and friction behavior were very strongly dependent upon lubricant. In contrast, the tribology of the GLC surface showed a much lower dependence on lubrication. In order to identify the compounds and their distribution across the interface, x-ray microanalysis phase mapping was innovatively applied and the principle of hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) to understand the behaviour. Phase mapping clearly showed the hierarchical interface of the zinc-iron polyphosphate tribofilm for various sliding pairs and different sliding durations. This interface structure formed between lubricant additives and the sliding surfaces adapts to the sliding conditions – the term adaptive interface. The current results help explain the tribology of these sliding components in engine.
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