Seminar Schedule – Spring 2019
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Time: 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Place: ASE 1.126
Fundamental Studies of Tribological Phenomena in Complex Engineered Systems: from Laboratory Equipment to the International Space Station
Filippo Mangolini, University of Texas at Austin
Tribology is the study of interacting surfaces in relative motion and the resulting phenomena of friction, lubrication, and wear. Energy and material losses in moving mechanical components as a result of friction and wear impose an enormous cost on national economies. The need to reduce the economic losses due to tribology in several sectors, together with the necessity to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, ensure energy security, and improve industrial output and competitiveness, have created an increasingly great demand for engineering systems and materials with improved energy efficiency and longer lifetime through better tribological performance. Establishing a fundamental understanding of the phenomena occurring at sliding interfaces and controlling the observed tribological response constitutes a critical step in the rational design and synthesis of new, modified, and improved materials and lubricants. The development of this understanding is a challenging materials science problem due to the highly non- equilibrium conditions found at buried sliding interfaces, where chemical reactions and structural transformations are strongly affected by the resultant stresses. A key step in tackling this challenge lies in applying advanced analytical methods with enhanced surface sensitivity and lateral resolution to the study of tribological materials and interfaces.
In this talk, I will provide two example of our research focusing on: a) the in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM)1 investigation of the mechanism of action of anti-wear additives used in automotive engine lubricants and gear oils; and b) the spectroscopic investigation of the structural transformations and chemical reactions occurring on a class of solid lubricating materials, namely amorphous carbon- based materials, used in a wide range of applications (including as coatings for automobile engine components and hard disks) in response to energetic inputs, i.e., temperature, mechanical stress, and hyperthermal atomic oxygen2-4.
The outcomes of the research provide guidance to strategies for designing modified functional materials able to withstand harsh conditions (e.g., elevated temperatures, oxidizing environments), exhibiting improved tribological performance (i.e., lower friction, and increased wear resistance), and able to meet the ever-increasing performance requirements of a number of challenging technological applications.
For further information, please contact Dr. Rui Huang at ruihuang@mail.utexas.edu or (512) 471-7558.
