1. Elements of tribological testing

1.1 Economic importance and technological features

Tribology is defined as the sciences and technologies that study the interactions between two surfaces in contact. It covers three areas: friction, wear and lubrication.

Even if the introduction of the word "tribology" by Peter Joste in his report published during the oil crisis of the 1970s does not correspond to the birth of this science, which began with the history of mankind, the development of tribology has always been strongly linked to the economic situation, particularly since the industrial revolution. The results of a study published by Cetim in 1994 once again confirm that the potential savings in France are of the order of 26 billion euros per year, or 1% of GDP, if all the knowledge acquired...