Article
Article
Lubrication
Article By:
Szeri, Andras Z. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.757585
The use of lubricants to reduce friction and wear. Whenever two bodies in contact are made to slide relative to one another, a resistance to the motion is experienced. This resistance, called friction, is present in all machinery. Approximately 30% of the power of an automobile engine is consumed by friction. Friction and wear can be significantly reduced, and thus relative motion of machine parts made possible, by interposing a lubricant at the interface of the contacting surfaces; the machine elements designed to accomplish this are called bearings. Bearings can be lubricated by solids such as graphite or, more commonly, by liquids and gases. See also: Antifriction bearing; Friction; Graphite; Lubricant; Surface and interfacial chemistry; Wear
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