What is your favorite book on tribology, lubrication or a related topic?
TLT Sounding Board February 2016
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For a science most laypeople have never heard of, tribology has spawned a small library of reference books. Most TLT readers naturally chose books that most closely relate to their jobs and areas of technical expertise. Books dealing with fundamentals and key principles of tribology are most popular, but many readers selected texts dealing with specialized areas of tribology, including nanotribology and biotribology. Among the technical areas still missing a definitive reference book, survey respondents cited cold rolling, lubricant chemistry (particularly relating to engine-oil additives), viscosity and boundary layer theory. For pure pleasure reading, STLE members cited Tom Clancy, Ernest Hemingway, Ayn Rand and Michael Crichton as among their favorite authors. Note: Many of the technical books cited in this article are available at www.stle.org.
Lubrication Fundamentals by Don M. Pirro, Ekkehard Daschner and A.A. Wessol. Covers the broad range of lubrication.
Lubricants and Lubrication, 2nd edition.
The Principles of Lubrication by Alastair Cameron. A classic that explains so much that is still relevant.
The Lubrication Engineers Manual. It is the foundation of lubrication principles.
Metalworking Fluids, 2nd edition. It covers everything and does so in a relatively detailed way.
Synthetics, Mineral Oils and Bio-Based Lubricants.
Oil-Mist Lubrication Handbook: Systems and Applications. It helped us introduce this awesome technology almost 16 years ago.
Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants by Roy M. Mortier, Malcolm F. Fox and Stefan Orszulik. A condensed, driven chemical analysis that is very useful for the highly skilled chemist. Mostly correct and has stood the test of time well.
Handbook of Lubrication and Tribology: Volume 1-Application and Maintenance by George E. Totten.
Modern Tribology Handbook by Bharat Bhushan. Very comprehensive and filled with details and descriptions of lubrication mechanisms.
Lubricants and Lubrication by Theo Mang and Wilfried Dresel. It is a large volume that briefly describes nearly every practical aspect of lubrication and tribology. The book is strictly structured, which makes it easy to find the topic you need.
Tribology in Metalworking: Friction, Lubrication and Wear by Dr. John Schey.
The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication. One of the easiest to read and relate to.
Grease Lubrication in Rolling Bearings by Piet M. Lugt.
Practical Lubrication for Industrial Facilities by Heinz P. Bloch.
Exxon Encyclopedia for the User of Petroleum Products.
Lubricants and Related Products by Dieter Klamann. A good compilation of facts, test methods and other background information.
Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants by Roy M. Mortier, Malcolm F. Fox and Stefan Orszulik. I have always found it a useful reference, especially when I was new to the industry and now.
Metalworking Fluids, 2nd edition. Great starting point book that hits almost all topics relevant to the formulation and upkeep of MWFs.
ASM Handbook, Volume 18: Friction, Lubrication and Wear Technology. This one has lots of basics, photos and test data on a very wide range of materials, systems and different wear and lubrication examples. Well done with lots of references.
Intermolecular and Surface Forces by Jacob N. Israelachvili. This book describes the forces at work in the boundary layer.
The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication. Easy to read and understand. Lots of pictures.
Lubricant Additives: Chemistry and Applications by Leslie Rudnick.
Synthetics, Mineral Oils and Bio-Based Lubricants by Leslie Rudnick.
The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication.
The one that really got me started was Lubricants and Related Products by Dieter Klamann. It’s an intelligent and practical guide on how and where lubricants work.
I prefer journals like Wear, Tribology Letters, etc., to books. They contain newer information.
TLT. It keeps me up to date on the latest technologies.
The Lubrication Engineers Manual. Extremely beneficial in helping me obtain my Certified Lubrication Specialist™ certification.
Handbook of Lubrication and Tribology—it’s a good general resource and appropriate for my level.
Tribology: A Systems Approach to the Science and Technology of Friction, Lubrication, and Wear. This book covers the basics well and offers good models for characterization.
The Lubrication Engineers Manual by U.S. Steel. It’s old, but there is a lot of good information in there and specifications.
The Friction and Lubrication of Solids, Volume I by F.P. Bowden & D. Tabor.
Drive It Forever: Secrets to Long Automobile Life by Bob Sikorsky. It’s something I can relate to.
How many work-related books do you have in your personal library?
1-5
7%
6-10
27%
11-15
11%
16-20
3%
More than 20
52%
Based on responses sent to 13,000 TLT readers.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / mady70
What technical area of tribology or lubrication engineering do you feel is missing a definitive book?
Cold rolling.
A book on lubricant chemistry written from a mechanical engineering viewpoint, just as Alastair Cameron’s was on lubrication mechanics from a chemist’s viewpoint.
Metal deformation processes. I have not found studies with research results yet.
Making the application, calculating and understanding of lambda more accessible to general engineers.
A comprehensive update on biobased lubricants. This is a complex and evolving arena with multiple drivers. Yet, it is difficult to fully grasp and to assess the opportunities even for the well initiated.
The thermodynamics of the tribology processes and thus the study of nanotribology related to industrial applications. I have not found important articles related to this area.
Chemistry of engine oil additives is poorly publicized. Many additives are used for engine oils, but since just three companies dominate in additive R&D, chemical information about their composition is often confidential. More than 10 million metric tons of engine oils are not disposed properly and end up lost in the environment. This is a shame as we don’t really know what kind of chemicals are emitted with waste engine oils.
Value of viscosity film strength in a shock-loading environment. Several different types of milling operations. Variables are too numerous to count.
Case studies or experiences in lubrication. We often encounter various lubrication cases in the field that need solutions.
Air compressors. We see point-of-sale material but not much technical info.
A real-world applications guide to industrial equipment.
Additive chemistry for engine oils. The chemistry is proprietary so no one wants to share.
Green lubrication. Biodegradable and environmentally friendly lubrication information. Examples of green technology applications.
Surface technology and tribo-layers.
Nano additive wear and friction research with gear oils. I can’t find anything on this specifically.
Boundary layer theory. The subject requires a multidisciplinary approach.
An ebook with animations and/or film clips that shows lubricants in action.
A general book on lubricant applications (if it doesn’t already exist). Good application knowledge is often a trade secret and passed down in the industry. Having access to more detailed information on specific applications could help increase market competition for suppliers looking to enter new markets.
Lubrication reliability—it’s a fast-developing area.
A book that links technical aspects of tribology/lubrication and commerce/business practice.
Tribology testing and simulations related to field performances of products.
Developments in coolant technology, including the adverse effects of hard water.
Sheet metal deformation. Lubricant choices are dependent on too many outside variables.
Regulations and health and safety issues. It is important to develop these products.
I have published a paper on oil filtration but am unaware of a book specifically on the subject.
Advances with coatings.
Materials science in general but specifically fine particle analysis as a root cause of progressive failure in lubes.
Metalworking fluids—nobody wants to give away all of their secrets!
A book specifically on commercial vehicle automotive gear oils. It is this way because most books concentrate on engine oil topics.
Asperity scale contact modeling.
Nanotechnological tribology because it’s the future.
The newer areas of nanotribology and biotribology, probably because so much remains to be explored in these areas.
More could be written on formulation in most areas.
Hot and cold rolling of ferrous and nonferrous metals.
Is the amount of technical information you’re consuming digitally versus print increasing or decreasing?
Increasing
70%
Decreasing
2%
The same
28%
Based on responses sent to 13,000 TLT readers.
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / zbynek
What is your favorite book not related to your work?
Anything by Tom Clancy because of the realism and detail.
The Oz Principle.
World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler. A good warning about techno-narcissism and the need to get a grip on managing the world better.
Anything about golf. I think about it when I am not thinking about lubrication.
The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson. Great Viking tale told with historic accuracy and humor.
Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre.
The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking.
Making Children Mind without Losing Yours by Kevin Leman. The title says it all and it is very good advice.
Boating for Dummies. I just bought a boat.
The Road Taken by Rona Jaffee. The book chronicles the lives of a family of women over four generations, showing how the roles of women have changed so dramatically. But the real reason it is my favorite is that it is just a great story.
Pretty much any crime fiction—Ross Macdonald, Elmore Leonard, Robert B. Parker. Mindless but enjoyable.
Anything written by Daniel Silva or Steve Berry. Good escapist thrillers.
Jurassic Park. All of Michael Crichton’s books are exciting, spellbinding and make science interesting for everyone.
Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk. Once you find the rhythm of the book, it’s a great read. Funny with some thought-provoking ideas thrown in.
The Native American Plains Flute by Richard W. Payne. Making Native American flutes is a hobby of mine and I love knowing their history here in America.
English Creek by Ivan Doig. Beautiful descriptions of growing up in Montana.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. A brilliant work of noir fiction where dialogue is crackling and gallows humor co-exists with dark human impulses.
The New Rational Manager by Charles Kepner and Benjamin Tregoe. It covers problem solving the way it should be covered.
I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough. I sailed my vessel through it with my father and my father-in-law plus my children and wife.
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King because it is an epic tale that lets the reader escape the real world for a while and enter another world.
Tiger Head, Snake Tails by Jonathan Fenby.
The newspaper.
Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. It fits so much emotion and descriptive text into such a short novel and just about sums up the struggles of life.
The novella Tales From Firozsha Baag by Rohinton Mistry.
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Mental Edge: Peak Performance and the Inner Game with Mega Brain Technologies by Michael Hutchison. To me brain development is the most important matter now.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Moment in Peking, which portrays China in the early 1900s.
The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics and greed.
Life of Pi. Perfect balance of action and psychological metaphor.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Cooking books. I like to mess around in the kitchen.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an email survey of 13,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.