ABSTRACT
In modern technology the coefficient of friction and the wear rate are regarded as widely variable, depending on lubricants, operational variables, substrate properties, and surface films. Compiling manufacturers’ standard test results for a number of lubricant formulations can aid mechanism design engineers in selecting the best lubricant for an application. The technology of solid lubrication has advanced rapidly in the past four decades, responding primarily to the needs of the automobile and aerospace industries. Soft metal films can be deposited as lubricating films on harder substrates by conventional electroplating or by physical vapor deposition methods such as evaporation, vacuum sputtering, and ion plating. Thin-metal-film lubrication is most relevant at high temperatures or in applications where sliding is limited. Solid lubricants must not only display low coefficients of friction but also maintain good durability and environmental stability.
