Evidence for a strong correlation between the amount of surface carbon and the tribological behaviour of ion-treated steels

Samples of 100Cr6-bearing steel were treated by different ion beams in order to study the evolution of their tribological properties. Complementary physico-chemical characterisation techniques give evidence for a strong correlation between the amount of surface carbon, whatever its origin (contamination, direct C implantation or ion beam mixing of a deposited carbon layer), and the reduction of the friction coefficient as well as the increase of the wear resistance. It is found that the friction coefficient is improved by a factor 5 and the wear volume by two orders of magnitude when the amount of surface carbon exceeds 1017 C cm−2.