SURFACE-CHEMISTRY OF CHLORINATED-HYDROCARBON LUBRICANT ADDITIVES - PART I - EXTREME-PRESSURE TRIBOLOGY

Chlorinated hydrocarbons are commonly added to a base lubricating flui d when it is used for extreme-pressure (EP) lubrication of ferrous met als. It is demonstrated here that the interfacial temperature in the E P regime varies linearly with the applied load in a pin and v-block te sting apparatus and that temperatures in excess of similar to 1000 K c an be attained. Thermally decomposing chlorinated hydrocarbon vapors o n iron heated to these temperatures (1) shows that a film consisting o f an iron chloride which incorporates small carbon particles (similar to 50 Angstrom) is formed. In this paper, tribological measurements at extreme pressures and the corresponding analyses of the rubbing surfa ces and wear particles also indicate that this film, formed from the c hlorinated lubricant reacting with these surfaces, is the critical ant iseizure material at less severe EP loads and interfacial temperatures less than similar to 1000 K.