Overview
Hugh Spikes’ research interests span many areas of Tribology, ranging from the design of engine lubricants to the tribology of micromachines. In all of these, his goal is to understand the relationship between lubricant properties and their composition at a molecular level, and to determine underlying mechanisms of lubrication.
Specific areas of interest include boundary, mixed and elastohydrodynamic lubrication, lubricant rheology, and mechanisms of friction and wear control by additives. During his research, Hugh Spikes has developed several important experimental methods that have become widely used, both as international standards and as research and development tools in industry and academia throughout the world.