Lubrication Mechanisms and Lubricants

Abstract

Sliding between clean solid surfaces is generally characterized by a high coefficient of friction and severe wear due to the specific properties of the surfaces, such as low hardness, high surface energy, reactivity, and mutual solubility. Clean surfaces readily adsorb traces of foreign substances, such as organic compounds, from the environment. The newly formed surfaces generally have a much lower coefficient of friction and wear than the clean surface. The presence of a layer of foreign material at an interface cannot be guaranteed during a sliding process; therefore, lubricants are deliberately applied to produce low friction and wear. The term lubrication is applied to two different situations: solid lubrication and fluid (liquid or gaseous) lubrication.