Lubrication at the Frontier: The Role of the Interface and Surface Layers in the Thin Film and Boundary Regime

The 25th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology was held at the Institut des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon, from 8-11th September, 1998. Its central theme was, &quote;Lubrication at the frontier: the role of the interface and surface layers in the thin film and boundary regime&quote;. This topic was chosen because it represents an important evolution of the research field.The Symposium opened with a keynote address entitled &quote;Role of surface-anchored polymer chains in polymer friction&quote; which described the processes taking place at the interface between &quote;solid&quote; and &quote;liquid&quote;. The keynote address was followed by two invited lectures. Firstly, &quote;Fuel efficient engine oils, additive interactions, boundary friction and wear&quote; presented the industrial point of view on lubricant formulation and engine testing and its evolution. The second lecture was entitled &quote;For establishment of a new EHL theory&quote; and stressed the need to extend the current EHL theory.Beginning in 1974, The Leeds-Lyon Symposia have now covered a wide range of topics. The essential aim each year is to select a topic of current interest to tribologists and to contribute to further the advance of knowledge in selected fields.