The study of phenomena involving the sliding of one surface over another. It includes friction, lubrication, and wear.
Tribology is the science and technology of friction, lubrication, and wear, derived from the Greek tribo meaning "I rub".
Applications
The study of tribology is commonly applied in bearing design but extends into other almost any aspect of modern technology, even to such unlikely areas as hair conditioners and cosmetics such as lipstick, powders and lipgloss.
Any product where one material slides or rubs over another is affected by complex tribological interactions, whether lubricated (e.g. hip implants and other artificial prosthesis) or unlubricated (some studies, for example, have looked at high temperature sliding wear in which conventional lubricants can no longer be used and the formation of compacted oxide layer glazes have been observed to protect against wear). The first reliable test on frictional wear was carried out by Charles Hatchett (1760- 1820) using a simple reciprocating machine to evaluate wear on gold coins.
The term became widely used following The Jost Report in 1966, in which huge sums of money were reported to have been lost in the UK annually due to the consequences of friction, wear and corrosion.
There are now numerous national and international societies, such as the Society for Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) in the USA and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers' Tribology Group (IMechE Tribology Group) in the UK.
Most technical universities have a group working on tribology, often as part of their mechanical engineering departments. The limitations in tribological interactions are however no longer mainly determined by mechanical designs, but rather by material limitations so the discipline of tribology now counts at least as many materials engineers, physicists and chemists as it does mechanical engineers.
Fundamentals of Tribology
The tribological interactions of a solid surface's exposed face with interfacing materials and environment may result in loss of material from the surface. The process leading to loss of material is known as "wear". Estimated direct and consequential annual loss to industries in USA due to wear is $500 billion . Wear can be minimized by modifying the surface properties of solids by one or more of "surface engineering" processes or by use of lubricants (for frictional or adhesive wear).
Engineered surfaces extend the working life of both original and recycled and resurfaced equipments, thus saving large sums of money and leading to conservation of material, energy and the environment.
Methodologies to minimize wear include systematic approaches to diagnose the wear and to prescribe appropriate solution. Czichos,1978) where appropriate material is selected by checking material properties against tribological requirements under operating environment Asset Management by Material Prognosis - a concept similar to terotechnology has been introduced recently by the US Military (DARPA) for upkeepment of key equipments in good health and start-ready condition for 24 hours.
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