Ellipsometric Surface Analysis of Wear Tracks Produced by Different Lubricants

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Abstract
Ellipsometric analyses of wear tracks in bearings of M-50 steel were carried out after operation under severe conditions with different lubricant additives. The base lubricant was a synthetic ester. It was found that the surface and wear additives benzotriazole and tricresylphosphate produced very patchy oxide layers. Dioctyldiphenylamine, a common antioxidant, on the other hand produced smoother films. The analyses were performed with a specially designed and constructed ellipsometer of very high (20 μm) spatial resolution. The results are consistent with data obtained by Auger electron spectroscopy.