Nanotribology at elevated temperature with controlled atmosphere

Friction plays a key role in diverse systems and phenomena that span vast ranges of scales, from the nanometre contacts inherent in micro- and nanomachines to the geophysical scales characteristics for earthquakes. Friction may generate heat causing rise in temperature, which is likely to increase wear damage. Furthermore, conditions such as elevated temperature will accelerate such damage. Naturally, examination of friction at high temperature is of great interest to a wide range of applications, e.g. machining and braking.