Liquid-Phase Deposition of Carbonaceous Polymeric Films from Cycloalkane Additives on Steel Surfaces

Abstract This study investigates the liquid-phase deposition (LPD) of carbonaceous tribopolymeric films from cyclopropane-carboxylic acid (CPCa), an additive dissolved in polyalphaolefins, under boundary-lubricated sliding conditions. In this approach, the lubricant acts as a carrier for a reactive chemical precursor, while the sliding contact functions as a tribochemical reactor that drives in-situ film formation. Ball-on-disk sliding experiments were conducted using n-dodecane containing 5 wt.