Tribology: Friction and Wear of Engineering Materials

Tribology is an interdisciplinary subject that studies the interaction between sliding surfaces. It deals with three major concepts namely friction, wear and lubrication. Friction refers to the resistance encountered by a body when sliding past another. It is a branch of mechanics. High friction is required for the smooth functioning of nuts and bolts, paper clips, and tongs. Friction is also essential for walking, maintaining a grip over objects and building piles of objects. Wear can be defined as the removal of material from a solid surface as a result of the mechanical action exerted by another solid. To control the losses caused due to friction and wear, a friction-reducing film is introduced between the moving surfaces that are in contact and this process is called lubrication. Thus, a proper understanding of tribological processes is required to improve standards of design and increase engineering efficiency. This book provides comprehensive insights into the subject of tribology. It is a vital tool for all researching and studying this topic.