Friction and wear have been observed m mechanical systems when there is a relative motion between two solid bodies Friction mainly results in loss of energy and wear results in matenal loss The proper understanding of friction and wear mechanisms provides practical solutions to tribological related problems Various models are available m tribology literature to calculate function coefficient and wear rate of matenals However, expenments suggest that these models are incomplete and fortuitous as the tnbological response is system dependent The objective of present investigation is to understand the tribological lesponse of commercially puie titanium and OFHC copper pins sliding on polyciystallme alumina discs Di\ shdm% tests were conducted in air, and vacuum (1 5 x 10~2Pa) at room tempeiatuie under different experimental conditions The normal load was vaned from 15 3 N to 76 0 N, sliding speed was vaned from 0 01 ms"1 to 1 4 ms"1, and tempeiatuie was varied from 293 K to 793 K It is found that the haidness of metals do not have any effect on their tribological response The experimental obseivations indicate that tribological response of metals mainly depends up on miciostructural evolution, oxygen activity and relative shear strength of metals and ceramics Chapter 1 starts with the background and concepts of tribology A brief literature survey is given with published work in relation with the present work In Chapter 2, the experimental proceduies of the dry sliding test and compression test are given Chapter 3 explains the tribological response of titanium during shdmg against alumina Different wear mechanisms such as oxidation, deformation and adhesion were identified Deformation wear mechanism is explained using strain rate response approach Chapter 4 explains the tribological response of copper during sliding against alumina The influence of environment and microstructural evolution on its tribological behavior are studied Chaptei 5 explains the dependence of tribological response of metals on micro structural evolution, oxygen activity and relative shear strength of metals and ceramics This thesis ends with the conclusions of the present investigation