Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) is an anti-wear additive, commonly used in engine lubricants. Under severe conditions of friction, it forms a tribofilm on steel surfaces. ZDDP tribofilm is mainly composed of zinc polyphosphates and its structure varies gradually over the height of the film: short phosphate chains at the metal surface and longer phosphate chains at the top of the film. Several studies have been conducted to understand the mechanism by which the additive may lead to the formation of this gradient of the phosphate chain length. The influence of pressure, shear stress, nature surfaces and temperature on the structure of zinc orthophosphate and zinc metaphosphate were investigated, to improve the understanding of their action mechanism. Friction tests were carried out in boundary lubrication regime from dispersions of zinc polyphosphates in base oil. The effect of pressure alone was investigated using a Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) in order to dissociate from the shear contribution. Raman spectroscopy was used to follow in situ or ex situ structural changes of the zinc polyphosphate powders. The experiments were carried out on these compounds to identify precisely the impact of stresses on them. Pressure alone induces only disordering in the structure of zinc polyphosphates, with only minor dimerization of the chain length in phosphates, and does not contribute significantly to the observed structural changes in tribofilms. Tribofilms obtained with both polyphosphates display a depolymerization of the zinc metaphosphate. The severe stress and strain conditions of the tribological tests are necessary to induce a tribochemical reaction between zinc metaphosphate and iron oxide, leading to a depolymerization of the phosphate in the tribofilm. The tribochemical reaction and anti-wear tribofilm formation are significantly enhanced by the modest temperature increase from ambient to 120°C, and by some kinds of iron oxides.
