When metal surfaces are placed together, the area over which they touch is usually very small. As a result, the localized pressures at the points of real contact are sufficiently high to produce plastic flow of the metal. Even under static conditions, these high pressures may produce “cold-welding” between the surfaces, and the metallic junctions so formed may be very strong. These junctions are sheared during sliding, and if they are stronger than the parent metals, heavy damage may result which is not limited to the interface at which intimate contact occurs. The growth and extension of this localized damage constitutes seizure. It follows that those factors which facilitate localized welding will, in general, increase the chances of large-scale seizure. Similarly, surface films which are capable of reducing localized adhesion will reduce the chances of seizure.