ABSTRACT
The most widely recognized role of surfactants in tribology is related to their ability to control friction and wear. Surfactants also allow for control of a wide range of lubricant properties such as emulsication/demulsication, bioresistance, oxidation resistance, rust/corrosion prevention, etc. Moreover, surfactants form a variety of organized structures that have interesting tribological properties. These include monolayers, normal/reverse micelles, oil in water (o/w) and water in oil (w/o) microemulsions, and uni-and multi-lamellar vesicles. Another group of organized assemblies that are of great contemporary interest in lubrication are self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). SAMs play a crucial role in the lubrication of a legion of products, including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).
