This article is cited in 20 papers

Surfaces, Electron and Ion Emission

Phenomenological theory for the melting of a thin lubricant film between two atomically smooth solid surfaces

Ya. A. Lyashenko^a, A. V. Khomenko^a, L. S. Metlov<sup>b

a</sup> Sumy State University
^b Galkin Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering, Donetsk

Abstract: A thermodynamic model is developed for the melting of an ultrathin lubricant film squeezed between two atomically smooth solid surfaces. To describe the state of lubricant, an excess volume parameter is introduced; it appears due to the chaos in the structure of a solid body induced by melting. This parameter increases with the total internal energy upon melting. Thermodynamic melting and shear melting are described. The dependences of the friction force on the lubricant temperature and the shear rate of friction surfaces are analyzed. The calculated results are compared to the experimental data.

Received: 08.12.2009

 English version: Technical Physics, 2010, 55:8, 1193–1199

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