1. Introduction
Ever since superlubricity (SL, e.g., mo0.010) was first observed
during water lubricated sliding tests of ceramics, there has been an
increasing interest in their tribological behavior due to the remarkable
scientific, technological and environmental importance of this finding.
In the mid 80's, Tomizawa and Fischer measured friction
coefficients lower than 0.01 during water lubricated sliding tests
using a pin and disc of silicon nitride [1]. The very low friction
values were attributed to the formation of a highly polished surface
obtained due to the wear of the rubbing components, which
provide the means to reach hydrodynamic load carrying capacity.
Later on, Tomizawa and Fischer observed a similar phenomenon
during water lubricated sliding tests using a pin and disc of Silicon
Carbide [2].