Journal profile · Engineering, Mechanical
Tribology International
ISSN 0301-679X · eISSN 1879-2464 · Elsevier Inc. · ENGLAND · Monthly
Tribology International: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 7.6; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,390; review about 76 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 32%); 1,033 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Tribology International is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 1 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Tribology and Lubrication Engineering, Lubricants and Their Additives and Tribology and Wear Analysis, together about 35.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics of Materials. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Tribology is the science of rubbing surfaces and contributes to every facet of our everyday life, from live cell friction to engine lubrication and seismology. As such tribology is truly multidisciplinary and this extraordinary breadth of scientific interest is reflected in the scope of Tribology International.Tribology International seeks to publish original research papers of the highest scientific quality to provide an archival resource for scientists from all backgrounds. Written contributions are invited reporting experimental and modelling studies both in established areas of tribology and emerging fields. Scientific topics include the physics or chemistry of tribo-surfaces, bio-tribology, surface engineering and materials, contact mechanics, nano-tribology, lubricants and hydrodynamic lubrication.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Mechanical
Editor-in-chief Benyebka Bou-SaïdPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 7 in mainland China (about 20%); most named United Kingdom 8, Mainland China 7, United States 6, France 3, Italy 3 (35 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Tribology and Lubrication EngineeringEngineering12.1%
- Lubricants and Their AdditivesEngineering11.5%
- Tribology and Wear AnalysisEngineering11.5%
- Adhesion, Friction, and Surface InteractionsEngineering8.9%
- Gear and Bearing Dynamics AnalysisEngineering8.7%
- Metal and Thin Film MechanicsEngineering7.6%
- Mechanical stress and fatigue analysisEngineering5.3%
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials ResearchMaterials Science4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Mechanical | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Mechanical | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Mechanical | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 7.6LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.39LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.89LetPub ·
- h-index
- 103LetPub ·
- h-index
- 187OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,074OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.54OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.81%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 956LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 15,130 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,020 | 182 | 1,080 |
| 2025 | 1,033 | 182 | 6,612 |
| 2024 | 1,153 | 226 | 19,703 |
| 2023 | 932 | 200 | 21,761 |
| 2022 | 690 | 138 | 20,510 |
| 2021 | 504 | 115 | 16,873 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
76 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 6 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 32%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 32 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 76 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 5,390 / EUR 5,040 / GBP 4,320 / JPY 668,520 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,810 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 1,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted14
- editorialTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- full length articlesTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
- letterTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- letters to the editorTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- news / opinion articlesTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
- opinionTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- original articleTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- perspectiveTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- reviewTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- review articleTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles are welcomed but should not be submitted uninvited; prospective authors should consult the Editor before preparing a review.Length not stated
- short communicationTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
- short communications/technical notesTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
- technical noteTribology International publishes Full Length Articles, Short Communications/Technical Notes, News / Opinion Articles and Letters to the Editor. Review articles…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0301-679X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-2464
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Tribology International
What CAS zone is Tribology International in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Tribology International is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Engineering, Mechanical; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Tribology International?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.6; CiteScore 13.1, h-index 187.
How long does peer review take at Tribology International?
The publisher reports about 76 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 32%)”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Tribology International?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 1,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Tribology International based?
Of the 35 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 7 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (8), Mainland China (7) and United States (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Tribology International?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Tribology International is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Tribology International open access, and what is the APC?
Tribology International is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,390.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .