The interdisciplinary nature of tribology encompasses knowledge drawn from disciplines such as mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry and physics. The interaction between these different fields of knowledge to achieve the final result, the control of friction and wear, is reviewed in this volume. This interdisciplinary approach has proven to be a very successful way of analysing friction and wear problems. In many cases tribology is viewed as an inaccessible subject which does not produce useful answers. In this volume the authors redress this problem by providing a comprehensive treatment of the subject. A basic feature of the book is the emphasis on describing various concepts in an accessible manner for the benefit of non-specialists. This principle is applied from the beginning of the book, where the reader is introduced to the fundamental concept of tribology. This concept is then often used to show how the various topics in tribology are interrelated to form one coherent subject. A direct graphical illustration of the mechanisms controlling tribological phenomena is presented. Carefully prepared diagrams allow rapid appreciation of the basic ideas and facts in tribology. The numerical analysis of hydrodynamic lubrication is supported by a number of computer programs which are included in the book. The control of wear is given extensive treatment with a thorough discussion of lubricant additives, solid lubricants and surface coatings. The effectiveness of coatings in suppressing specific forms of wear is analyzed together with the methods of coatings deposition. The book contains 474 figures and 44 tables. More than 1000 references are provided to give the reader access to more specialized information if required. The volume is intended to provide graduates in engineering or materials science with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of friction, wear and lubrication.
