Role of Interfacial Bonding in Tribochemical Wear

Abstract

Tribochemical wear of contact materials is an important issue in science and engineering. Understanding the mechanisms of tribochemical wear at an atomic scale is favorable to avoid device failure, improve the durability of materials, and even achieve ultra-precision manufacturing. Hence, this article reviews some of the latest developments of tribochemical wear of typical materials at micro/nano-scale that are commonly used as solid lubricants, tribo-elements, or structural materials of the micro-electromechanical devices, focusing on their universal mechanisms based on the studies from experiments and numerical simulations. Particular focus is given to the fact that the friction-induced formation of interfacial bonding plays a critical role in the wear of frictional systems at the atomic scale.