Tribology Letters is devoted to the development of the science of Tribology and to its applications. It also serves as the depository for new information on the mechanical properties of surfaces. These include friction lubrication wear adhesion and hardness. The aim of the journal is to facilitate communication and exchange of seminal ideas among the thousands of practitioners who are engaged worldwide in the pursuit of tribology-based science and technology. We hope to encourage the cross-fertilization of ideas by rapid dissemination of the results of frontier research and development on a global basis.