ADSORPTION AND SURFACE-CHEMISTRY IN TRIBOLOGY

Adsorption on sliding surfaces and the chemical changes occurring with in a few nanometers of the surface are key to the performance of lubri cants and lubricant additives in the boundary lubrication regime. By m eans of the methods of modern surface science, these phenomena are beg inning to be elucidated on a molecular level. This knowledge will be e ssential, both for the development of higher-performance lubricants, c apable of high-temperature operation, as well as for the design of env ironmentally benign alternatives to the lubricant systems in current u se. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.