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Tribofilms in Solid Lubricants

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Encyclopedia of Tribology

Synonyms

Transferred layers/films; Tribo-layers

Definition

Tribofilm is defined as a thin solid film generated as a consequence of sliding contact, which is adhered on its parent worn surface but has different chemical composition, structure, and tribological behavior. Tribofilms are found to exist in many tribo-systems, where they work as a “third body” having remarkable influence on both the friction behavior and the wear performance. The fundamental understanding of tribofilms is increasingly enriched, especially attributed to the instrumental advances in materials characterization techniques. These research efforts in turn contribute to the synthesis of novel tribological materials.

A solid lubricant refers to a functional material that can significantly decrease the friction force of a tribo-system when it is introduced to the sliding interface. However, the friction property of a solid “lubricant” depends not only on the chemical composition, structure, and physical properties of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Analysis and Research Service, Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, UK

    Dr. Quanshun Luo

Authors
  1. Dr. Quanshun Luo
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Correspondence to Quanshun Luo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Q. Jane Wang

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for Surface Engineering and Tribology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Yip-Wah Chung

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Luo, Q. (2013). Tribofilms in Solid Lubricants. In: Wang, Q.J., Chung, YW. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tribology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92897-5_1252

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