About this Research Topic
Contact of solid interfaces, and hence friction and wear at the macroscale, normally involves several asperities. The study of single asperity contact, friction, and wear is therefore of great importance, both for better understanding of tribological processes and their application to improving engineering systems.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides the unique opportunity of characterizing local sample properties, such as roughness or elastic moduli at the nano/microscale. Furthermore, thanks to the direct determination of sample height with sub-nanometre resolution and the possibility of measuring local friction, AFM can be employed after a tribotest to detect topography and friction changes at the nanometre scale. Recently, efforts are being expended to use AFM cantilevers as tribometers, i.e., as probes altering the volume of suitable samples, thereby measuring tip and/or sample wear and friction at the nano/microscale.
The goal of the present Research Topic is to better our understanding of the basic phenomenon of single asperity contact, wear, and friction taking advantage of AFM measurements with the tip as a model asperity. Problems connected with the determination of volumes at the nano/microscale and with the calibration of the torsion of AFM-cantilevers and hence with quantitative measurements of friction are of particular interest. Recent advances in the use AFM cantilevers as tribometers and in the study of in situ wear and friction are of outstanding relevance.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collect research papers dealing with the application of scanning probe microscopy in tribology, most notably in micro/nanotribology. Subjects to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Characterization of sample properties (roughness, friction, elastic modulus, etc.) prior to tribotests via AFM.
• Determination of wear volume and topography changes at the nano/microscale via AFM. In particular: “zero wear” or wear at the asperity level and wear during running-in.
• Study of friction and friction changes at the nano/macroscale via AFM after tribotests.
• Use of AFM as tribometer. In particular: study of wear and friction phenomena at the nano/microscale and study of single asperity wear and friction.
• Simulation and theoretical aspects of single asperity contact, wear, and friction.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides the unique opportunity of characterizing local sample properties, such as roughness or elastic moduli at the nano/microscale. Furthermore, thanks to the direct determination of sample height with sub-nanometre resolution and the possibility of measuring local friction, AFM can be employed after a tribotest to detect topography and friction changes at the nanometre scale. Recently, efforts are being expended to use AFM cantilevers as tribometers, i.e., as probes altering the volume of suitable samples, thereby measuring tip and/or sample wear and friction at the nano/microscale.
The goal of the present Research Topic is to better our understanding of the basic phenomenon of single asperity contact, wear, and friction taking advantage of AFM measurements with the tip as a model asperity. Problems connected with the determination of volumes at the nano/microscale and with the calibration of the torsion of AFM-cantilevers and hence with quantitative measurements of friction are of particular interest. Recent advances in the use AFM cantilevers as tribometers and in the study of in situ wear and friction are of outstanding relevance.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collect research papers dealing with the application of scanning probe microscopy in tribology, most notably in micro/nanotribology. Subjects to be covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Characterization of sample properties (roughness, friction, elastic modulus, etc.) prior to tribotests via AFM.
• Determination of wear volume and topography changes at the nano/microscale via AFM. In particular: “zero wear” or wear at the asperity level and wear during running-in.
• Study of friction and friction changes at the nano/macroscale via AFM after tribotests.
• Use of AFM as tribometer. In particular: study of wear and friction phenomena at the nano/microscale and study of single asperity wear and friction.
• Simulation and theoretical aspects of single asperity contact, wear, and friction.
Keywords: Micro/nanotribology, Wear, Friction, Scanning Probe Microscopy, Single Asperity
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
