| AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Tribology Focus Topic | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session TR+NS+EM+NC-WeA |
| Session: | Nanotribology and Nanomechanics |
| Presenter: | S.B. Sinnott, University of Florida |
| Authors: | P. Barry, University of Florida P. Chiu, University of Florida T. Liang, University of Florida S.S. Perry, University of Florida W.G. Sawyer, University of Florida S.R. Phillpot, University of Florida S.B. Sinnott, University of Florida |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Friction is of tremendous technological importance and has, consequently, been under study for centuries. This research has led to the development of classical theories of friction that have successfully solved several tribological problems. However, these classical theories do less well at describing the behavior of advanced materials that operate under extreme environments. Here, we describe integrated experimental and computational studies of atomic-scale friction and wear at solid-solid interfaces across length and time scales. The influence of molecular orientation in the case of polymer films of polytetrafluoroethylene and polyethylene, on friction and wear are discussed. In addition, the tribological behavior of polycrystalline molybdenum disulfide is elucidated in a combination of atomic-force microscopy and classical molecular dynamics simulations. These results provide new insights into how classical theories of friction may be modified to better describe advanced materials under extreme environments. This work is supported by a MURI from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research through grant FA9550-04-1-0367.