The study shows that the boundary lubrication performance of bearing steel can be improved by pretreatment with tricresyl phosphate. By X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopic analyses of pre-slid and slid-bearing steel specimens, some mechanisms likely related to such improvement in tribological performance are revealed. It is identified that: (i) production of nanophosphate film on steel surface reduces friction from 0.08 to 0.035 and enhances anti-wear ability; (ii) wear mode is mainly ploughing in nature; and (iii) tricresyl phosphate surface pretreatment prevents the oxidation of lubricant oil. Such findings give some insight to applying tricresyl phosphate pretreatment on modifying the tribological behaviors of the rolling bearing of aeroengine.
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