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Open research questions in Tribology and Wear Analysis

70 gap statements mined from Tribology and Wear Analysis papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 689 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • One challenge is the difficulty of achieving uniform structures and high mechanical properties in polyetherimide-based composites. Another challenge is the limited understanding of the effect of fabrication methods on the mechanical properties of the composites. The study also identifies the challenge of minimizing discontinuities and delaminations in the composites.

    Influence of Fabrication Methods of Polyetherimide-Based Composites Reinforced with Carbon Fabrics on Their Structures and Mechanical Properties · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need to investigate the surface wettability of un-textured and textured silicon nitride ceramic. The paper also identifies a gap in the analysis of the characteristics of the frictional process between un-textured and textured samples.

    Investigation on Tribological Performance of Laser Surface Texturing on Silicon Nitride Ceramic Under Hyaluronic Acid Lubrication · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to improve the performance of polypropylene (PP) for use in various industrial applications. The challenge of achieving uniform dispersion and reproducible tribological performance of WC nanoparticles in the PP matrix.

    Insights into Wear analysis and Decomposition Kinetics of Polypropylene/Tungsten Carbide Nanocomposites · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could focus on optimizing the liquid-phase deposition process and exploring the potential of other chemical precursors. Further studies could investigate the long-term durability and stability of the formed tribopolymeric films.

    Liquid-Phase Deposition of Carbonaceous Polymeric Films from Cycloalkane Additives on Steel Surfaces · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap is addressed by exploring a hybrid approach of in-situ formation of protective tribochemical layers that function as replenishable carbon coatings.

    Liquid-Phase Deposition of Carbonaceous Polymeric Films from Cycloalkane Additives on Steel Surfaces · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies could investigate the effect of TiO2 incorporation on the properties of other types of geopolymer composites. The optimal TiO2 concentration for improved tribological performance could be explored in more detail. The use of TiO2-reinforced geopolymer composites in construction applications could be investigated.

    Assessment of tribological performance and thermal stability of metakaolin-based geopolymer composites reinforced with high TiO2 concentration · 2026 · DOI

  • The effect of TiO2 incorporation on the properties of metakaolin-based geopolymer composites is not well understood. There is a need for further research into the potential of TiO2 as a reinforcing filler for geopolymer composites.

    Assessment of tribological performance and thermal stability of metakaolin-based geopolymer composites reinforced with high TiO2 concentration · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of development of polymer composites based on aromatic polyamide and silver. The need to improve the tribological properties of polymer composites.

    Polymer composites based on aromatic polyamide and silver for highly loaded friction elements of agro-food equipment · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited wettability and interfacial behaviour of polyalphaolefin lubricants. Need for biodegradable lubricants.

    TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT SURFACE ENERGY AND WETTABILITY OF POLYALPHAOLEFIN WITH ORGANIC FRICTION MODIFIERS · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to develop biodegradable lubricants, or bio-lubricants, which are derived from renewable resources. The wettability and interfacial behaviour of polyalphaolefin lubricants need to be improved.

    TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT SURFACE ENERGY AND WETTABILITY OF POLYALPHAOLEFIN WITH ORGANIC FRICTION MODIFIERS · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for sustainable and high-performance lubricants. The lack of understanding of wear behaviour in Al4032 alloy.

    INVESTIGATION OF TRIBOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF Al 4032 ALLOY REINFORCED WITH SEASHELL POWDER UNDER BIOFRIENDLY DIESEL LUBRICATION · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of study on the use of nano silica and HNTs as reinforcements in polymer composites. The need for a wear map to predict the wear behavior of hybrid polymer composites.

    Experimental investigation on wear behavior of hybrid polymer composites using wear maps · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of how lubricants respond to electrical stimuli.

    Voltage-Driven Growth of Phosphorus Tribofilms · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to develop advanced polymer composites with improved tribological performance. The durability of SLA-printed polymer components is a major concern in various industries.

    High-performance SLA-Printed UV Resin Composites Reinforced with h-BN/Graphene for Enhanced Frictional Stability and Wear Resistance · 2026 · DOI

  • It is difficult to achieve a low coefficient of friction below 0.1 in the atmosphere. Carbon-based hard coatings have low wear resistance and are not considered long-lasting materials.

    The effect of group 5 metal elements addition to ta-C coating on tribological properties in dry friction · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the mechanism by which molecular weight affects the physicochemical properties of SPEEK remains unclear, which limits further optimization of its lubricating performance.

    Insight into the role of molecular weight in regulating tribological behaviors of SPEEK · 2026 · DOI

  • The compression sintering pressure was limited to '10 MPa' and '6 MPa' for the different methods. The study did not investigate the effect of other parameters, such as temperature and time, on the mechanical properties of the composites.

    Influence of Fabrication Methods of Polyetherimide-Based Composites Reinforced with Carbon Fabrics on Their Structures and Mechanical Properties · 2026 · DOI

  • The tribological performance of glass fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide composites is a major concern. The use of carbon nanofibers as reinforcement can potentially improve their mechanical properties and tribological performance.

    Parametric analysis of carbon nanofiber effects on mechanical properties and abrasion resistance of GF/PPS hybrid composites · 2026 · DOI

  • Developing a more comprehensive deformation mode map that includes other factors. Investigating the use of scratch-based testing for screening new rubber grades.

    Scratch-induced deformation modes in rubber compounds · 2026 · DOI

  • Wear susceptibility of thermoset polymers under dry sliding conditions - Limited understanding of tribo-thermo-viscoelastic interactions - Difficulty in quantifying wear mitigation in polymer-based tribological…

    Multi-Scale Tribo–Thermo–Viscoelastic Engineering of Sustainable Bio-Based Epoxy Through Hybrid Carbon Nano Architectures and Energy Partition Modeling · 2026 · DOI

  • Aiming at the problems of high friction coefficient, severe adhesive wear and poor lubrication durability of TC4 titanium Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance Volume 35(34) September…

    Research on Tribological Properties and Synergistic Lubrication Mechanism of TC4-SnAgCu Composites with Face-Centered Cubic Lattice Structure · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the tribological behavior of Al-based automotive alloy under different levels of used motor oil. The paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the impact of used motor oil on the wear rate and friction coefficient of the alloy.

    Tribological degradation forecast of Al-based automotive alloy under different levels of used motor oil · 2026 · DOI

  • Frictional resistance at the bracket-archwire interface - Loss of applied force due to friction - Need for efficient and effective orthodontic…

    Comparison of frictional resistance of graphene - and tungsten disulfide-coated orthodontic <span style="font-size: 1rem;">archwires with ceramic self-ligating brackets under dry and wet conditions: An in-vitro </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">study</span> · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of studies on the frictional resistance of coated archwires - The need to evaluate the effect of environmental conditions on frictional…

    Comparison of frictional resistance of graphene - and tungsten disulfide-coated orthodontic <span style="font-size: 1rem;">archwires with ceramic self-ligating brackets under dry and wet conditions: An in-vitro </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">study</span> · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term effects of the coating. Exploring the application of the coating to different substrates and environments. Studying the effects of varying the concentration of MXene and LO on the coating's performance.

    Breaking the tribocorrosion threat: An active-passive PANI microcapsules@MXene network enabling on-demand healing and lubrication in epoxy coatings · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Tribology and Wear Analysis

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Future research could focus on optimizing the liquid-phase deposition process and exploring the potential of other chemical precursors (“Liquid-Phase Deposition of Carbonaceous Polymeric Films from Cycloalkane…”, 2026); (2) Further studies could investigate the effect of TiO2 incorporation on the properties of other types of geopolymer composites (“Assessment of tribological performance and thermal stability of…”, 2026); (3) The lack of development of polymer composites based on aromatic polyamide and silver (“Polymer composites based on aromatic polyamide and silver for highly loaded…”, 2026); (4) There is a need to develop biodegradable lubricants, or bio-lubricants, which are derived from renewable resources (“TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT SURFACE ENERGY AND WETTABILITY OF POLYALPHAOLEFIN WITH…”, 2026); (5) The lack of understanding of wear behaviour in Al4032 alloy (“INVESTIGATION OF TRIBOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF Al 4032 ALLOY REINFORCED WITH…”, 2026). 70 gap statements have been mined from Tribology and Wear Analysis papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 689 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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