5. Contact and friction wear mechanisms

5.1 Tribology (the science of contact and friction)

The etymology of the word "tribology" is of Greek origin: "tribos" friction, "logos" study. Tribology is generally defined as the science that studies the phenomena likely to occur between the surfaces of material systems in contact, whether immobile or animated by relative movements. It is mainly concerned with interactions between two solid bodies, or between a solid and a liquid or granular lubricant. Given the fields covered and the diversity of mechanisms, tribology calls on multidisciplinary knowledge: mechanics, materials science, strength of materials, chemistry, thermics, etc. For these reasons, this section presents only the main elements of tribolology concerning material failure mechanisms. More detailed information can...