Oral Qualifying Exam - Tribology
BOOKS
Engineering Tribology, by J. Williams, Oxford University Press (January 1995) (current text in ME
314/Tribology)
Introduction to Tribology, B. Bhushan, John Wiley & Sons (July 2002)
Materials for Tribology by William A. Glaeser, Elsevier Science Ltd (May 1992)
SUBJECTS (as taught by Prof. Andreas Polycarpou of MechSE):
The Tribology course in the Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering is an introduction to
friction, lubrication and wear. It covers the contact of real surfaces, mechanics of friction, surface
failures/wear, boundary lubrication, fluid properties, thin film (elastohydrodynamic) lubrication, thick
film (hydrodynamic) lubrication, and an introduction to micro-, nano-tribology. Tribology is a somewhat
unknown subject (the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and the practice
related thereto). It is an interdisciplinary area, and most importantly it still has many unknowns (open
ended questions).
1. Introduction: What is Tribology all about, and its significance. A brief history of tribology.
2. Surfaces in contact: Surface properties and geometry, surface topography, elastic and plastic
contact mechanics, contact deformations and stresses.
3. Friction of surfaces in contact: The laws (Amontons-Coulomb) of friction, theories of friction:
adhesion, junction growth, ploughing and other mechanisms.
4. Surface Failures: Adhesive, abrasive and fatigue wear, brinelling, fretting, erosion and cavitation.
5. Boundary Lubrication: Tribological properties of solid lubricants, attachment of surface films,
plating, physical and chemical adsorption of additives, materials for brakes and clutches.
6. Fluid Properties: Eyring viscosity theory, temperature and pressure effects, viscosity
conversions.
7. Thick Film Lubrication: Hydrodynamic thrust (slider) bearings of infinite and finite width, journal
bearings of infinite and finite width, bearing materials.
8. Thin Film Lubrication: Lubrication of highly loaded contacts: Elastohydrodynamic lubrication,
regions of influence of viscosity and elasticity, surface roughness, film thickness computations,
design considerations.
9. Micro- and nano-tribology: Why the need to study micro- and nano-tribology. Emphasis will be
given on the tribology of the head disk interface and MEMS