Tribology of Interface Layers

Many tribological devices act as viable bearings in contrast to basic hydrodynamic theory. Similarly, powder films possess quasi-hydrodynamic features that enable them to act as conventional fluid film bearings. These phenomena have led to a novel definition of lubricants as intermediate layers, which are detailed in this book. It illustrates that the various lubrication modes, from dry to hydrodynamic to powder lubrication, overlap to such a degree that they exist on a tribological spectrum. Based on experimental and theoretical work, this text shows how the interdependence of powder and hydrodynamic lubrication exemplify this continuum in tribological processes.