Novel Tribology in Drivetrain Components
A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1040
Special Issue Editors
2. Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Interests: advanced materials research; components; bearings; rolling contact fatigue; white etching cracks; tribology and lubrication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: artificial intelligence; machine learning; components; bearings; reliability; availability; tribology and lubrication; dynamic probabilistic risk assessment of complex systems; impact of organizational factors on socio-technical systems risk; root cause analysis and accident investigations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The next era requires a novel approach toward drivetrain technology. This includes the invention of new sustainable materials with consideration for ecological aspects. Basically, these efforts aim to reduce friction and wear with a favorable CO2 footprint for the duration of the drivetrain’s operational life. Currently, the reliability of industrial and automotive drivetrains in their life cycle is based on the robustness of the tribological system, held together by steel components and the use of appropriate lubricants. However, modern tribology has to consider inherent electricity and achieving viscosity in order to minimize the energy losses caused by splashing. These aspects revolve around tribology and lubrication, such that basic mechanisms governing friction and wear have to be researched continuously for the load-carrying and load-transmitting components exemplarily represented by the bearings and gears. Moreover, sustainability leads to the question of how nature-derived materials, as the most sustainable and de-centralized resources available, could substitute the current technology mainly based on the chemistry of hydrocarbons. The overall presence of electricity in such components will cause impacts, and the basic mechanisms are not yet concisely understood. As the robustness of a drivetrain is at the forefront of mechanical, physical, and chemical engineering, plenty of data are needed in order to obtain their scales and dimensions. Consequently, a novel tribology is inevitable, accompanied by data science based on the fundamentals of chemistry and physics and assisted by machine learning technology. We invite all researchers in mechanical, physical, and chemical engineering, as well as data scientists worldwide, to share their thoughts, opinions, and results on this fascinating new tribology study in the new module offered by MDPI.
Prof. Dr. Walter Martin Holweger
Prof. Dr. Mario Brito
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- tribology
- lubrication
- components
- bearings
- gears
- industrial and automotive drivetrains
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
