A third of the yearly global energy loss has been attributed to friction-induced processes, making the search and development of highly efficient and durable tribological coatings imperative.
Significant research effort has been devoted to developing high performing coating materials with excellent friction properties, but the role of the interface between the tribological coating and its substrate is poorly understood. Gaining an atomic scale understanding of these interfaces will allow for the origin of weaknesses to be identified, and mitigation methods to be developed.