Friction - exists in a vacuum?

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Friction can occur in a vacuum, contrary to the assumption that it cannot. While a vacuum removes air resistance, friction still exists between solid surfaces, as demonstrated by the operation of trains in vacuum tunnels, which can achieve higher speeds due to reduced air friction. Research indicates that under certain conditions, such as cold welding and galling, friction can increase significantly in a vacuum, especially with materials like titanium. Tests show that when surfaces are displaced under load, the friction can increase nearly tenfold in a vacuum compared to an atmosphere. Understanding these friction properties is crucial for applications in space and advanced transportation systems.
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friction -- exists in a vacuum?

Is it possible for friction to take place in a vaccum?
 
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tiwai016 said:
Is it possible for friction to take place in a vaccum?

Sure. Kind of hard to walk on the moon without friction, eh? :smile:
 
With vacuum you actually take away only few ways of friction the main being that of air and a object moving through it.

They had a plan to build special vacuum tunnels with high speed trains in them, train has very little friction as it is rolling on metal wheels on metal track , and if you remove the air you can increase the speed significantly.
 
tiwai016 said:
Is it possible for friction to take place in a vaccum?

Nuts and bolts still work on the outside of the space station.
 
Under certain conditions cold welding and/galling can occur as what this paper has concluded from the THE GALILEO HIGH GAIN ANTENNA DEPLOYMENT ANOMALY.

http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/bitstream/2014/32404/1/94-0141.pdf

A series of tests was performed at NASA 1.cwis Research Center on the friction
properties of drylubed and bare titanium against ]nconcl 7 18.[31 The results of these tests
showed that if the (WO surfaces arc displaced relative to each other under load and in air, then
clisplacccl relative to each other under load in a vacuum, the sliding friction between the
surfaces increases nearly ten times, When a drylubcd and anodized pin was operated in an
atmosphere, the drylube surface was quickly destroyed and, as a result, exposed the base
titanium, The testing also showed that with an atmosphere present to continue to react with
the bare titanium as it was worn by sliding contact, the friction coefficient never exceeded
0,35. However, once a pin’s drylubc was damaged by operation in air and then operated in a
vacuLIm, the surfaces started to gall and produce cmfficients of friction in excess of 1.0,
 
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