MICROSTRUCTURE AND TRIBOLOGY OF CARBON, NITROGEN, AND OXYGEN IMPLANTED FERROUS MATERIALS

Nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen ions have been implanted into ferrous materials under unusual conditions of elevated temperatures and very high dose rates. The tribological durabilities of the resulting surfaces are examined with a special type of pin-on-disc wear test apparatus and found in most cases to be dramatically improved compared to surfaces prepared with conventional implantation conditions. Near-surface microstructures and compositions are characterized after implantation and after wear testing by backscatter Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. These data provide evidence for the predominant mechanisms responsible for the observed sliding wear behavior induced by each of the three species.