ABSTRACT
Low-friction materials and their coatings have been in use for
many decades to control friction and wear in a wide range of
tribological applications. Due to their multifunctional nature, they
have also been very effective in combating corrosion, fatigue, scuff-
ing and fretting-related mechanical failures under harsh operating
conditions [1-9]. Latest self-lubricating coatings consist of nano-
composite and/or -layered morphologies that afford much longer
wear life as well as superior resistance to oxidation and heat-related
degradations. These novel coating architectures are made of two or
more distinct phaseswith each phase providing a range of additional
functionalities besides providing low friction and wear. With recent
advances in deposition technologies, production of such coatings
has now become rather easy and affordable for a wide range of
mainstream applications.
