The Kelvin probe is a sophisticated instrument which is very sensitive to changes in surface conditions, such as deformation, texture, phase transformation and contamination. Efforts have been made to use this technique to diagnose wear. In this study, the effect of the grain boundary (GB) on the electron work function (EWF) was examined with the aim of investigating the contribution of changes in grain size to total changes in the EWF during wear. Copper and aluminum were studied as examples. It was demonstrated that the EWF dropped in the vicinity of GB's and the mean EWF decreased as the grain size decreased. The mechanism responsible for the changes in the EWF with respect to the GB is discussed.
