Metals and their alloys are widely utilized for engineering applications
because of their enhanced strength and workability. When the metallic components are
assembled to deliver the relative motion, the friction will be generated due to the
interaction between the metallic surfaces, and this interaction will lead to the ‘Wear’ of
the metallic components. Wear in mechanical components reduces the plant efficiency
because of power losses, and in rare cases, it is catastrophic. Wear is a vital cause of
malfunctioning a mechanical system, and it is a serious issue that needs to be addressed
in tribological applications. In a mechanical system, the relative motion of a solid
body/particles (or) fluid particles over other metallic surfaces results in fragmentation,
plowing, cutting, shearing, scuffing, scoring, pitting, etc., and these features can be
categorized based on the wear mechanisms. The important wear mechanisms in
industrial situations are abrasion, adhesion, delamination, erosion, fatigue, fretting and
oxidation. This chapter comprehensively reviews the various tribological issues in the
metals and also some notable case studies.
Keywords: Abrasion, Adhesion, Alloys, Cutting, Delamination, Erosion, Fatigue,
Fragmentation, Fretting, Friction, Mechanical Components, Mechanical System,
Metals, Oxidation, Plowing, Pitting, Shearing, Scuffing, Scoring, Wear.
