Nanotribology and Atomic Mechanisms of Friction

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2013) | Viewed by 36765

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering, Department, University of Texas at Arlington, Mail Box 19031, WH, Room 325, 501 West First Street, Arlington, TX 76019, USA
Interests: thin films; coatings; nanomaterials; plasma processing and surface modification

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoscience and nanotechnology brought up an unprecedented excitement in the scientific and engineering communities, especially during the last decade. The recent revolutionary advances in nanoscale phenomena open exciting, new avenues for research and discovery and hope to meet current global technological needs. One area that has attracted limited attention is nanoscale effects on the frictional behavior of materials. Effective lubrication is the most prevalent way of controlling friction and wear. A reduction in the length scale of material interaction pronounces effects at the atomic level that need to be better understood. Such effects are of utmost importance in developing reliable small scale devices such as nano and micro electromechanical systems (NEMS and MEMS) that contain nanostructured dynamic components that would be difficult to replace or repair.

The aim of the present special issue is to provide state-of-the-art contributions in nanotribological phenomena and mechanisms of friction at the atomic level. Contributions from different scientific and engineering disciplines are solicited due to the interdisciplinary nature of this area. Advancing the current understanding requires both experimental studies and theoretical treatments of nano tribological phenomena. Probing techniques at the nano scale can provide unique information and have a lot to offer in better characterizing interactions at tribological contacts. Similarly, molecular dynamic simulations have become an indispensable tool to advance our understanding of the nature of the asperity contacts at the atomic and nanoscale.

Prof. Dr. Efstathios “Stathis” I. Meletis
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanotribology
  • nano tribological phenomena
  • atomic mechanisms of friction
  • experimental/theoretical studies
  • probing techniques
  • molecular dynamic simulations

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

1224 KiB  
Review
Experimental Investigations of Biological Lubrication at the Nanoscale: The Cases of Synovial Joints and the Oral Cavity
by Javier Sotres and Thomas Arnebrant
Lubricants 2013, 1(4), 102-131; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants1040102 - 25 Nov 2013
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 24384
Abstract
Interactions between surfaces are ubiquitous phenomena in living organisms. Nature has developed sophisticated strategies for lubricating these systems, increasing their efficiency and life span. This includes the use of water-based lubricants, such as saliva and synovial fluid. These fluids overcome the limitations of [...] Read more.
Interactions between surfaces are ubiquitous phenomena in living organisms. Nature has developed sophisticated strategies for lubricating these systems, increasing their efficiency and life span. This includes the use of water-based lubricants, such as saliva and synovial fluid. These fluids overcome the limitations of water as a lubricant by the presence of molecules such as proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. Such molecules may alter surface interactions through different mechanisms. They can increase viscosity enabling fluid-film lubrication. Moreover, molecules adsorb on the surfaces providing mechanisms for boundary lubrication and preventing wear. The mentioned molecules have typical sizes in the nanometer range. Their interaction, as well as the interaction with the entrapping surfaces, takes place through forces in the range of nanonewtons. It is therefore not surprising that the investigation of these systems have been boosted by development of techniques such as scanning probe microscopies and the surface force apparatus which allow studying tribological processes at the nanoscale. Indeed, these approaches have generated an enormous amount of studies over the last years. The aim of this review is to perform a critical analysis of the current stage of this research, with a main focus on studies on synovial joints and the oral cavity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotribology and Atomic Mechanisms of Friction)
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512 KiB  
Review
Nanotribological Behavior of Carbon Based Thin Films: Friction and Lubricity Mechanisms at the Nanoscale
by Costas A. Charitidis, Elias P. Koumoulos and Dimitrios A. Dragatogiannis
Lubricants 2013, 1(2), 22-47; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants1020022 - 2 Apr 2013
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 11510
Abstract
The use of materials with very attractive friction and wear properties has raised much attention in research and industrial sectors. A wide range of tribological applications, including rolling and sliding bearings, machining, mechanical seals, biomedical implants and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), require thin films [...] Read more.
The use of materials with very attractive friction and wear properties has raised much attention in research and industrial sectors. A wide range of tribological applications, including rolling and sliding bearings, machining, mechanical seals, biomedical implants and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), require thin films with high mechanical strength, chemical inertness, broad optical transparency, high refractive index, wide bandgap excellent thermal conductivity and extremely low thermal expansion. Carbon based thin films like diamond, diamond-like carbon, carbon nitride and cubic boron nitride known as “super-hard” material have been studied thoroughly as the ideal candidate for tribological applications. In this study, the results of experimental and simulation works on the nanotribological behavior of carbon films and fundamental mechanisms of friction and lubricity at the nano-scale are reviewed. The study is focused on the nanomechanical properties and analysis of the nanoscratching processes at low loads to obtain quantitative analysis, the comparison obtain quantitative analysis, the comparison of their elastic/plastic deformation response, and nanotribological behavior of the a-C, ta-C, a-C:H, CNx, and a-C:M films. For ta-C and a-C:M films new data are presented and discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanotribology and Atomic Mechanisms of Friction)
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