Detection of Incipient Surface Charge Due to Tribological Contact

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An SGER award will support a study of the feasibility of using changes in surface potential to measure wear of materials. Tentative results from a laboratory in Belarus indicate that the technique has substantial potential as an in situ, non-contact, low-cost method of monitoring wear processes. The work will initially concentrate on stainless steel and single crystal silicon subject to wear in a vacuum. The surface potential changes will be measured with a vibrating capacitor Kelvin probe and correlated with friction and wear behavior. Once the baseline data have been determined in a vacuum the equipment will be tested on surfaces sliding in polar molecular liquids, such as water, in order to test the feasibility of using the technique in lubricated systems. The Belarus scientist will participate in the initial equipment development and data analysis.