Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2011
A modified pin-on-disc wear test technique and conversion electron M6ssbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) have been used to characterize the tribological and microstructural properties, respectively, of pure Fe implanted with N and Ar ions at high current densities. CEMS measurements were made before and after wear testing. For the lubricated, mild adhesive wear conditions used here, no evidence was found for iron-nitride dissolution or N atom migration. Disordering of γ'-Fe4N did occur as a result of the wear process. All Nimplanted surfaces were tribologically superior to the Ar-implanted surface and an extremely wear-resistant surface layer about 30-50 nm thick was produced with a dose of 8x1016 N atoms/cm2, at a dose rate of 100 μA/cm2. However, once this layer was worn away the wear rate returned sharply to that of unimplanted pure Fe. A high retained N dose has been observed even for a dose rate of 750 μA/cm2 during which the sample reached 280°C.