Fundamentals of Solid Lubrication

During this program, we have worked to develop a fundamental understanding of the chemical and tribological issues related to the implementation of layered solid lubricants in aerospace mechanisms. The work has entailed chemical studies performed from a surface analytical approach, tribological measurements performed over a range of length scales, and the correlation of the two classes of information. Research activities have focused on the properties of single crystal MoS2 and PbS and the implementation of a UHV tribometer being used to explore the properties of MoS2 containing composite films.