Engineering tribology

Tribology is the study of surfaces in contact, and this guide starts by laying out its core ideas before showing how its many subtopics connect into a single field. Diagrams and figures appear throughout to help readers build an intuitive grasp of the basic principles. Few dedicated resources cover this area, so the book aims to be useful to readers who are not specialists in the field.

The text explains how wear, friction and lubrication occur, using plain language and clear explanations. Preventing wear receives particular attention, with detailed coverage of lubricant additives, solid lubricants and surface coatings. It also examines which types of wear a given coating can suppress and how those coatings are applied to surfaces. Over 1,000 references are included for readers who want to explore specialized research further.

A substantial part of the book addresses hydrodynamic lubrication through numerical analysis. Several MATLAB programs accompany this material, allowing readers to work through lubrication problems with quantitative results. Overall, the book is meant to explain what tribology is and how its principles can address mechanical failure, lower maintenance costs and reduce energy consumption.