Elemental Analysis of a Friction and Wear Surface During Sliding Using Auger Spectroscopy

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Abstract
An Auger cylindrical mirror spectrometer has been incorporated into a friction and wear apparatus. The spectrometer can analyze for all elements heavier than helium present on a friction and wear surface. The instrument response is sufficiently fast to allow a chemical analysis of the surface in 0.10 second. The surface can be continuously analyzed while the experiment is in progress, and better insight into those chemical factors influencing friction and wear can thereby be provided. In sliding friction experiments, transfer of silver, aluminum, and copper to a steel surface was observed. Transfer took place without any attempt to clean the steel surface. This occurred in the first pass of the rider across the steel. Variations in the mode of metal transfer could also be detected. Gases containing oxygen were adsorbed to a copper transfer film, and its subsequent friction-initiated desorption was monitored.

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