......................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ...............

The chemical inertness, high melting point, and intrinsic lubricity of polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE have been used to develop solid lubricating parts for operation in extreme environments, from frying pans to satellites. The atomic-level mechanisms associated with friction and wear at PTFE surfaces are elucidated here by systematic investigations of the frictional anisotropy measured with respe...

Diamond, diamond-like carbon (DLC), and other related materials (i.e., carbon nitride and cubic boron nitride [CBN]) are some of the hardest materials known and offer several other outstanding properties, such as high mechanical strength, chemical inertness, and very attractive friction and wear properties, that make them good prospects for a wide range of tribological applications, including r...

In this work, we studied a nanocomposite material made from fluoroplastic which contains 20 wt.% multi-walled nanotubes. In order to complete the present work, we have used different thermodynamic and mechanical techniques. The introduction of nanotubes in the F4 polymer matrix has completely changed the tribological and thermodynamic properties of the studied nanocomposite material. The compre...

A new stratified approach to pre-clinical tribological simulation of joint replacements is presented, which extends beyond present standard conditions used. It includes variations in surgical delivery, variations in kinematics, variations in the patient population and degradation of the biomaterials technology. Examples of the new methods are presented, which have been validated against clinica...

Damage to mechanical components caused by wear is considered to be an important issue for mechanical engineers. For the purpose of wear resistance, it is necessary to improve the material properties of the mechanical elements. Furthermore, low friction plays an important role in saving energy. Hence, it is important to establish a key technology for wear resistance and low friction through appr...

Alumina-Aluminum composites with interpenetrating network structures are a new class of advanced materials with potentially better properties than composites reinforced by particles or fibers. Local casting reinforcement was proposed to take into account problems with the machinability of this type of materials and the shaping of the finished products. The centrifugal infiltration process fabri...

The cutting properties of tools can be greatly improved by AlCrSiN coatings. The AlCrSiN coatings with nitrogen content in the range of 28.2–56.3 at. % were prepared by varying the N2/Ar flow ratio from 1/4 to 1/1. The influence of N2/Ar flow ratio on composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties, as well as the tribological properties, of the coatings was investigated. With increasing...

Recently, some novel surface engineering techniques have been developed, which may be used for extending lifetime of artificial joints; however, the full potential will not be realised until the tribological behaviour of surface engineered bio-medical materials has been fully characterised. In the present investigation, a pin-on-disc tribometer has been used to evaluate the tribological respons...

A novel flexure-based biaxial compression/shear apparatus has been designed, built, and utilized to conduct tribological studies of interfaces relevant to MEMS. Aspects of our new apparatus are detailed and its capabilities are demonstrated by an investigation of two interfaces for MEMS applications. Tribological tests may be performed with normal and tangential forces in the μN to N range and ...