Adsorbed water is present on nearly all surfaces exposed to the ambient and can greatly influence tribological properties such as adhesion, friction and wear. This paper reviews how the effects of the surface chemistry, such as oxidised or terminated by different functional groups, greatly influences the water adsorption isotherm thickness as well as the structure of adsorbed water. The thickness and activity of the adsorbed water greatly affect the wear between different material surfaces. Sufficient adsorbed water could induce a detrimental effect such as galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals or a beneficial effect strengthening soda lime glass.
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