Understanding Adhesive Wear: Mechanisms and Modeling

This lecture delves into the intricate world of adhesive wear, exploring the concepts of tribology, friction measurement, and modeling friction across different scales. The instructor discusses the evolution of roughness on natural surfaces, micro contacts, and the transition from brittle to ductile wear. Various models and simulations are presented to explain the mechanisms behind adhesive wear, including Archard's wear law and the formation of debris. The lecture also covers the scale dependence of contact interactions and the emergence of self-affine fractal surfaces. Through a combination of experimental observations and computational simulations, the audience gains insights into the complex nature of wear mechanisms and the factors influencing friction.