Fundamentals of Friction: Macroscopic and Microscopic Processes

Fundamentals of Friction, unlike many books on tribology, is devoted to one specific topic: friction. After introductory chapters on scientific and engineering perspectives, the next section contains the necessary background within the areas of contact mechanics, surfaces and adhesion. Then on to fracture, deformation and interface shear, from the macroscopic behavior of materials in frictional contact to microscopic models of uniform and granular interfaces. Lubrication by solids, liquids and gases is presented next, from classical flow properties to the reorganization of monolayers of molecules under normal and shear stresses. A section on new approaches at the nano- and atomic scales covers the physics and chemistry of interfaces, an array of visually exciting simulations, using molecular dynamics, of solids and liquids in sliding contact, and related AFM/STM studies. Following a section on machines and measurements, the final chapter discusses future issues in friction.