Friction and wear have classically been treated as unrelated, distinct phenomena. Even Tribology often classifies friction and wear as separate. Quoting Rabinowicz [1], "Friction is usually classified as a branch of Physics, or of Mechanical Engineering. Wear is often considered to be part of Metallurgy." In reality, friction and wear are manifestations of the same interfacial physics and events, and consequently, often depend on the same phenomenological variables. Both are associated with, or induced by irreversible processes that dissipate mechanical power, reorder the material structures of the bodies, and generate entropy. Consequently, the irreversible entropy generated by interfacial processes is a fundamental and natural quantity to describe both friction and wear. This article will formulate expressions for friction and wear based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and consideration of the dissipative processes operative at tribological interfaces.
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