General principles of combined hardening for wear resistance enhancement

A number of questions on materials science aspects of wear and friction of engineering materials is described in this paper. Several problems of materials science in tribology are singled out. These main problems represent the substance of perspective directions in fundamental and applied investigations. Among these problems are: structural theory of alloys wear resistance; alloys optimal structures with high wear resistance; wear-resisting alloys with heterophasial structures; combined bulk/surface strengthening and coating. An analysis of modern achievements in the field of materials science in tribology from the positions of physics of solids, mechanics of deformed solids and structural fracture mechanics permits us to substantiate proposed actual directions of investigations.