Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identifying Important Differences in Mass Spectra Generated by Secondary ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF–SIMS) in a Tribochemical Study

  • Methods Paper
  • Published:
Tribology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to better understand the lubricating properties of diesel fuel, species that were present on tribological surfaces were investigated using secondary ion time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF–SIMS). Traditionally, only certain species that are expected to be present at the interface are investigated and their presence or absence is used to make conclusions regarding the mechanism of lubrication. In this work, an alternative and complementary approach to data analysis and interpretation is proposed, previously demonstrated for TOF–SIMS and based on multivariate analysis methods, where the mass spectral data are investigated more comprehensively. The main objective was to interpret variation within and between different areas of a tested surface and ultimately to contribute to the understanding of the tribochemical reactions that occur at the interface. The validity of this approach was confirmed when the palmitate ion (which would normally be targeted) was shown to contribute significantly (together with other ions) to chemical differences between scratched and unscratched areas of the surface.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Margaroni, D.: Fuel lubricity. Ind. Lubr. Tribol. 50, 108–118 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Wei, D., Spikes, H.A.: The lubricity of diesel fuels. Wear 111, 217–235 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Fox, M.F.: A model for diesel fuel additive lubricity. Tribol. Interface Eng. Ser. 48, 585–591 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sahoo, R.R., Biswas, S.K.: Frictional response of fatty acids on steel. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 333, 707–718 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Wood, R.J.K., Harvey, T.J., Morris, S., Powrie, H.E.G.: Electrostatic monitoring of boundary and mixed lubrication. Tribol. Ser. 40, 83–92 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hsu, S.M., Zhang, J., Yin, Z.: The nature and origin of tribochemistry. Tribol. Lett. 13, 131–139 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Murase, A., Ohmori, T.: ToF–SIMS analysis of model compounds of friction modifier adsorbed onto friction surfaces of ferrous materials. Surf. Interface Anal. 31, 191–199 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kolm, R., Gebeshuber, I.C., Kenesey, E., Ecker, A., Pauschitz, A., Werner, W.S.M., Störi, H.: Tribochemistry of mono molecular additive films on metal surfaces, investigated by XPS and HFRR. Tribol. Interface Eng. Ser. 48, 269–282 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Crockett, R.M., Derendinger, M.P., Hug, P.L., Roos, S.: Wear and electrical resistance on diesel lubricated surfaces undergoing reciprocating sliding. Tribol. Lett. 16, 187–194 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bhushan, B.: Nanotribology and nanomechanics. Wear 259, 1507–1531 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wagner, M.S., Castner, D.G.: Characterization of adsorbed protein films by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry with principal component analysis. Langmuir 17, 4649–4660 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Graham, D.J., Wagner, M.S., Castner, D.G.: Information from complexity: challenges of TOF–SIMS data interpretation. Appl. Surf. Sci. 252, 6860–6868 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wagner, M.S., Graham, D.J., Ratner, B.D., Castner, D.G.: Maximizing information obtained from secondary ion mass spectra of organic thin films using multivariate analysis. Surf. Sci. 570, 78–97 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Knothe, G.: Evaluation of ball and disc wear scar data in the HFRR lubricity test. Lubr. Sci. 20, 35–45 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Leslie, A.D., Volmer, D.A.: Dealing with the masses: a tutorial on accurate masses, mass uncertainties, and mass defects. Spectroscopy 22, 32 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hsu, S.M.: Boundary lubrication: current understanding. Tribol. Lett. 3, 1–11 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Jacques Langenhoven for performing the HFRR tests as well as Caryn Beets for guidance and discussions regarding the MassLynx and MarkerLynx software. The financial assistance of Sasol (Sasol Technology, Fuels Research) and the National Research Foundation (DAAD-NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at are those of the authors and are not necessarily to be attributed to the DAAD-NRF.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, South Africa

    Elize Smit & Egmont R. Rohwer

  2. Materials Characterization, National Metrology Institute of South Africa, Meiring Naude Road, Pretoria, South Africa

    Werner Jordaan

  3. Sasol Technology, Fuels Research, Sasol, Klasie Havenga Street, Sasolburg, South Africa

    Stefan De Goede

Authors
  1. Elize Smit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Werner Jordaan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stefan De Goede
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Egmont R. Rohwer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elize Smit.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Smit, E., Jordaan, W., De Goede, S. et al. Identifying Important Differences in Mass Spectra Generated by Secondary ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF–SIMS) in a Tribochemical Study. Tribol Lett 56, 27–36 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-014-0385-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-014-0385-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation