A SEM/AES/XPS tribometer for rolling and sliding contacts

A facility for studying the tribological performance of materials for a wide range of conditions has been established. It provides sliding, rolling and rolling-with-controlled-slip contact conditions at temperatures from liquid nitrogen to ambient in environments from ultrahigh vacuum to one atmosphere of oxygen, hydrogen and a variety of gas mixtures. Parameters such as normal and friction forces, wear, temperature, and speed are monitored in real-time with a computer data acquisition system. The surface topography and chemical composition are analyzed with SEM, AES, and small-area multichannel XPS incorporated in the facility. The chemical composition of the test environment and outgassed compounds from the tribomaterials are monitored with a quadrupole mass spectrometer.