friction real aparent area
General Topics
Guidance Notes on Friction

In dry sliding between a given pair of materials under steady conditions, the coefficient of friction may be almost constant. This is the basis for two EMPIRICAL Laws of Sliding Friction, which are often known […]

graphene structure
Advanced Materials
The Science of Friction on Graphene

Sliding on flexible graphene surfaces has been uncharted territory until now, Graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon sheets just one atom thick, has been the subject of widespread research, in large part because of its […]

friction tuning
Advanced Materials
Vanishing Friction

Illustration: Christine Daniloff/MIT and Alexei Bylinkskii A new technique tunes friction between two surfaces, to the point where friction can vanish. MIT researchers developed a frictional interface at the atomic level. The blue corrugated surface […]

fight friction with plasma
General Topics
Fight friction with plasma

For road vehicles, wind resistance increases fuel consumption. But one way to fight wind is with wind. Researchers in Sweden are experimenting with reducing drag on trucks with electric wind devices that mimic the way […]

Tohoku_earthquake
General Topics
No Friction – Bad Earthquake

It is a common trope in disaster movies: an earthquake strikes, causing the ground to rip open and swallow people and cars whole. The gaping earth might make for cinematic drama, but earthquake scientists have […]

Graphene-Nanosheet
Atomistic Tribology
Controlling friction of graphene

Graphene, a wonder just one atom thick material, shows incredible wear-resistance and super low friction levels. This behavior is ascribed to its low inter-layer shear properties and high normal load carrying capabilities. However, in many […]