Control and quantification of friction, as a ubiquitous phenomenon, has been of significant priority in numerous practical applications involving contacting bodies. Economic implications ensuing from the loss of material, energy and functionality caused by friction and wear further underline the need for robust modeling techniques. While attempts to afford the development of comprehensive wear models have been profuse, the degree of their success has been limited owing, in large part, to the variegated nature of friction and wear. Today, in light of the existing body of knowledge, it is acknowledged that wear of materials involves a variety of complex and physically diverse phenomena that often occur in an inextricably intertwined fashion. It is, therefore, of no surprise that there exists a scarcity of predictive models to realistically account for the multifarious processes involved. Accordingly, the development of approaches that can properly unify the processes underlying wear and friction is an important scientific endeavor.

MITC2015-pp 2