How can you reduce friction and how can you increase friction?

Answer 1

Devices such as wheels, ball bearings, roller bearings, and air cushion or other types of fluid bearings can change sliding friction into a much smaller type of rolling friction.Many thermoplastic materials such as nylon, HDPE and PTFE are commonly used in low friction bearings They are especially useful because the coefficient of friction falls with increasing imposed load. For improved wear resistance, very high molecular weight grades are usually specified for heavy duty or critical bearings.A common way to reduce friction is by using a lubricant, such as oil, water, or grease, which is placed between the two surfaces, often dramatically lessening the coefficient of friction. The science of friction and lubrication is called tribology. Lubricant technology is when lubricants are mixed with the application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives. Super-lubricity, a recently-discovered effect, has been observed in graphite: it is the substantial decrease of friction between two sliding objects, approaching zero levels. A very small amount of frictional energy would still be dissipated.Lubricants to overcome friction need not always be thin, turbulent fluids or powdery solids such as graphite and talc, acoustic lubrication actually uses sound as a lubricant.Another way to reduce friction between two parts is to superimpose micro-scale vibration to one of the parts. This can be sinusoidal vibration as used in ultrasound-assisted cutting or vibration noise, known as dither.

Answer 2

To reduce friction, use lubricants like oil or grease to create a slippery barrier between surfaces. Additionally, smoother surfaces and proper maintenance can help reduce friction. To increase friction, use materials with higher coefficients of friction, increase the contact area between surfaces, or apply more pressure between the contacting surfaces.