Understanding the interactions among the various additives in a lubricant is important because they can have a major influence on the performance of blends under tribological conditions. The present investigation is focused on the interactions occurring between ZnDTP and dispersant molecules in an oil formulation, and on their reactivity under purely thermal conditions in the presence of air-oxidized iron surfaces. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) was performed on undiluted blends at different temperatures, while angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) was exploited to investigate the surface reactivity on oxidized iron surfaces. The results indicate that the dispersant, generally added to blends for preventing the deposition of sludge, varnish and soot on the surface, might also inhibit the reaction of all other additives with the steel surface. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.