ABSTRACT
Friction and wear are major causes of mechanical failure and dissipative energy loss. Their impact was ‘rst quanti‘ed in a study in the United Kingdom, which concluded that these losses account for 6% of the annual gross domestic product in the United States (Jost, 1966; Jost, 1976). This amounted to greater than $200 billion in 1974 and approximately $800 billion in 2010. In addition, the report predicted that tens of billions of US dollars could be saved by proper use of lubricants. In response to this need, both solid and liquid lubricants have been developed to minimize frictional energy losses, reduce equipment maintenance, and extend device lifetimes. Today, these issues are the focus of signi‘cant studies in emerging technologies involving micro-and nanoscale mechanical components and present new technical challenges for tribologists.
