Combining in situ and online approaches to monitor interfacial processes in lubricated sliding contacts

In this study, “within the environment” and “within the contact” in situ tribology techniques are combined in order to study the interfacial processes in lubricated metallic (i.e., aluminum-based) sliding conditions. The evolution of the roughness follows the trend of the coefficient of friction closely, with initially low values followed by higher roughness during steady state. Similarly, the transfer film behavior correlates well with the roughness of the worn surfaces and the subsurface microstructure of the worn surfaces. The effect of normal load on the running-in behavior is also studied in terms of differences in the interfacial processes.