In order to improve the anti scuffing properties of high speed steel, die steel and plain carbon steel, low temperature
ion sulfuration technology was utilized to process them Sulfide layers, dominated by FeS phase, were produced on the surfaces of the three steels The anti scuffing and tribological properties of the sulfide layers were investigated by a
friction and wear tester, QP 100 model, ball plate tester, under
oil lubrication SEM equipped with EDX and XRD were employed to analyze the morphologies of cross section and scuffing surfaces of sulfide layers, as well as the surfaces phase structure AES and XPS were used to detect the elements variation with depth and the valence states of boundary lubrication films of scuffing surfaces respectively The results show that the anti scuffing and tribological properties of all sulfuration steels are improved remarkably It can be ranked by the order of high speed steel die steel plain carbon steel according to the extend of improved anti scuffing and tribological properties The differences of properties with different steels are mainly determined in the hardness, microstructure and corrosion resistance of substrate respectively