Figure: (Left and middle) Self-healing process in ceramics, which completes in as little as one minute. (Right) A network of manganese oxide (green) facilitates self-healing.
—Bone-Healing Inspired Ceramics Shows Potential as an Aircraft Engine Material Capable of crack-healing during Flight—
2017.12.21
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) Yokohama National University (YNU) Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
A NIMS-YNU research group discovered that self-healing ceramics undergo three healing stages analogous to bone healing processes: inflammation, repair and remodeling. Using clues provided by bone healing mechanisms, the group added a healing activator to crystalline grain boundaries, enabling the ceramic to fully heal cracks in as little as one minute at 1,000°C, the operating temperature of an aircraft engine.
A NIMS-YNU research group discovered that self-healing ceramics undergo three healing stages analogous to bone healing processes: inflammation, repair and remodeling. Using clues provided by bone healing mechanisms, the group added a healing activator to crystalline grain boundaries, enabling the ceramic to fully heal cracks in as little as one minute at 1,000°C, the operating temperature of an aircraft engine.
Self-healing ceramics were discovered by an YNU research group in 1995. Lightweight and heat-resistant, they have been drawing global attention for their potential use as turbine materials in aircraft engines. However, their self-healing mechanisms had been poorly understood, and cracks only fully healed within a limited temperature range between 1,200 and 1,300°C. Therefore, identification of the mechanism and development of ceramics capable of rapid self-healing within a larger temperature range have long been sought.
The present research group found that self-healing processes occur in three stages: when a ceramic cracks, oxygen enters though the crack and reacts with silicon carbide—a ceramic component—to form silicon dioxide (the inflammation stage). Alumina—a base ceramic material—and silicon dioxide then react to form a gap filling material, sealing the crack (the repair stage). Finally, the filler crystallizes to restore the original strength in the cracked part (the remodeling stage). In addition, based on the insight that the bodily fluid network in humans promotes the healing of damaged bones, the research group added a trace amount of a healing activator—manganese oxide—to alumina grain boundaries as a 3D network structure. As a result, newly developed ceramics healed cracks in as little as approximately one minute at 1,000°C, compared to conventional ceramics, which heal cracks in 1,000 hours at 1,000°C.
Based on these results, the research group plans to develop innovative, heat-resistant ceramics which will never break even when cracked by selecting effective healing activator phases and thereby precisely manipulating the self-healing capability of ceramics.
This project was carried out by a research team led by Senior ResearcherToshio Osada(Research Center for Structural Materials (RCSM), NIMS), Group Leader Toru Hara (RCSM, NIMS), Principal ResearcherTaichi Abe(RCSM, NIMS),Takahito Ohmura(Deputy Director of the RCSM, NIMS), Chief ResearcherMasanori Mitome(International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, NIMS) and Professor Wataru Nakao (Faculty of Engineering, YNU). This research was funded by the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) (No. JP24760093), the JST Advanced Low Carbon Technology Research and Development Program and the MEXT Nanotechnology Platform Japan program.
This study was published in the online version of Scientific Reports at 10:00 am on December 19, 2017, GMT (7:00 pm on the 19th, Japan Time).
—Discovery May Facilitate the Development of Environmental-Friendly Anti-biocorrosion Measures, Such as Enzyme-Targeted Chemicals—
2018.02.14 (2018.02.17 Update)
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) RIKEN
A research team led by NIMS and RIKEN has discovered that bacteria responsible for iron corrosion in petroleum pipelines, etc. possess a group of enzymes enabling them to directly extract electrons from extracellular solids.
A research team led by NIMS and RIKEN has discovered that sulfate-reducing bacteria responsible for anaerobic iron corrosion in petroleum pipelines, etc. possess a group of cell surface enzymes which enable them to directly extract electrons from extracellular solids. Current anticorrosion methods involve the use of antibacterial agents which kill a broad spectrum of bacteria. Their finding may facilitate the development of more efficient and environmental-friendly anti-biocorrosion methods; for example, the formulation of chemicals capable of effectively inhibiting the bacterial enzymes identified in this research.
Anaerobic iron corrosion in petroleum pipelines cause severe industrial failures, such as oil leakage. It is therefore important to identify the causes of anaerobic corrosion and efficiently prevent them. Sulfate-reducing bacteria—which produce corrosive hydrogen sulfide by oxidizing soluble electron donors such as organics and hydrogen—have been considered as the cause of anaerobic corrosion. However, it remained unknown why corrosion continue proceeding even after iron surfaces were covered with the built-up iron sulfide crusts which protect iron surface from hydrogen sulfide. In 2004, several sulfate-reducing bacteria were isolated with iron as the sole energy source, and hypothesized to be capable of direct electron extraction from iron through electrically conductive of iron sulfide crusts, causing the persistent anaerobic corrosion. However, electron uptake agents such as surface redox enzymes have not been identified in these bacteria, leaving how they extract electrons from solids unknown.
The research team carefully analyzed the cell membranes of a corrosive sulfate-reducing bacterium which grows with metal iron as the sole electron source, and discovered a group of membrane enzymes (i.e., outer membrane [OM] cytochromes, which are shown in the photo as the dark stains on the cell surface and nanowires). The team confirmed that electrons were removed from an indium-tin doped oxide electrode only when these enzymes were expressed. These results provide strong evidence supporting that this sulfate reducing bacterium can accelerate iron corrosion by direct electron uptake from iron. In addition, the team searched the ubiquity of the newly discovered enzymes in the protein databases and found that the amino acid sequences were widely conserved by various sulfur-metabolizing bacteria inhabiting deep-sea sediments, and distinct from those previously identified in iron-reducing bacteria, therefore likely formed a new clade of outer membrane cytochromes.
In future studies, the team plans to develop anti-biocorrosion techniques capable of selectively and efficiently deactivating corrosive sulfate-reducing bacteria at low costs in an environmental-friendly manner by designing chemicals which inhibit the electron uptake of the identifed membrane enzymes. The results of this research also indicated the first time that bacteria inhabiting deep-sea sediment—a largely unknown ecosystem—may extract electrons directly from solid matters. These results may facilitate the development of techniques to culture unknown bacteria.
This research project was carried out by a research team led by Akihiro Okamoto (Senior Researcher, Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, NIMS), Xiao Deng (School of Engineering, University of Tokyo; also a recipient of the JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists), Kazuhito Hashimoto (NIMS President and Professor (formally affiliated with the School of Engineering of the University of Tokyo)) and Naoshi Dohmae (Unit Leader, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN). This study was conducted as a part of a Specially Promoted Research project (Project No. 24000010) and Young Scientists (A) project (Project No. 17H04969), both funded by Grants-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
This research was published in Science Advances at 2:00 pm on February 16, 2018, local time (4:00 am on the 17th, Japan Time).
With atomic numbers of 113, 115, 117, and 118, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) announced the addition of these four elements to the periodic table, but one of them, Element 115 was already announced in 1989 when Bob Lazar, famous area 51 whistleblower revealed to the public that the UFOs possessed by the government were powered by a mysterious ‘Element 115.’ Of course at that time, the claims made by Lazar were tagged as absurd as the scientific community had no knowledge of ‘Element 115’. In 2003, his statements gained more credibility when a group of Russian scientists managed to create the elusive element, and now, twelve years after that achievement, the discovery of ‘Element 115’ was finally confirmed after numerous tests which verified its existence. However, the scientific version of ‘Element 115’ drastically differs from what Lazar has described over the years, since according to reports, the element decays in less than a second and cannot be utilized for anything.
Unununpentium, the temporary name for Element 115, is an extremely radioactive element; its most stable known isotope, ununpentium-289, has a half-life of only 220 milliseconds. In 2014, Lazar was interviewed by Geroge Knapp where they discussed ‘Element 115’ or Ununpentium where Lazar dismissed early findings surrounding Element 115, stating that he was confident that further testing will produce an isotope from the element which will match his initial description. “They made just a few atoms. We’ll see what other isotopes they come up with. One of them, or more, will be stable and it will have the exact properties that I said,” Lazar told Knapp. Bob Lazar, who was ridiculed because of his sensational claims, states that he worked in the past at Area 51, where top secrets projects are being developed. Interestingly, on several occasions he was subjected to a polygraph: The testing confirmed his statements regarding the secret researcher facilities and alien technology present inside some of the most infamous bases in the United States. According to Lazar, the so-called “UFO’s” were not built by humans, the cabins inside of the craft were extremely small and only a child could fit into them. Lazar claims that these “Flying saucers” were built and piloted by extraterrestrial beings. Mysteriously, it seems as if the UFO’s were made out of one single piece, they did not have a welding point and were made from a material unknown on Earth. In addition to ‘Element 115’, scientists introduced 113, 117, and 118. Interestingly, all of these four elements are super heavy, lab-made and VERY radioactive. “The chemistry community is eager to see its most cherished table finally being completed down to the seventh row,” said Professor Jan Reedijk, president of the Inorganic Chemistry Division of IUPAC. “IUPAC has now initiated the process of formalising names and symbols for these elements temporarily named as ununtrium, (Uut or element 113), ununpentium (Uup, element 115), ununseptium (Uus, element 117), and ununoctium (Uuo, element 118).”
Argonne scientists discovered a technique to create a layer of diamond-like carbon on the surfaces between moving parts. This could change the future of lubrication—potentially making engines more efficient, more reliable, and even greener (by reducing heavy metal additives needed in engine oils). To learn about licensing the technology or collaborating with Argonne on development, contact partners@anl.gov.
Investigating the friction behavior of nanosystems, scientists from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have discovered a previously unknown type of friction, the so-called desorption stick. They attached a polymer chain to the tip.
Whether in wheels, transmissions, hips or industrial sensors the parts involved must slide against each other with minimum friction to prevent loss of energy and material wear. Investigating the friction behavior of nanosystems, scientists from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have discovered a previously unknown type of friction that reveals previously unexplainable phenomena.
Friction is an side effect of systems and parts in motion. It causes wear and loss of efficiency in our machinery and in the joints of our own human bodies. In search of low-friction components for ever smaller components, a team of physicists led by the professors Thorsten Hugel and Alexander Holleitner now discovered a previously unknown type of friction that they call "desorption stick."
The researchers examined how and why single polymer molecules in various solvents slide over or stick to certain surfaces. Their goal was to understand the basic laws of physics at the molecular scale in order to develop targeted anti-friction surfaces and suitable lubricants.
For their studies the scientists attached the end of a polymer molecule to the nanometer-fine tip of a highly sensitive atomic force microscope. While they pulled the polymer molecule over test surfaces, the AFM measured the resulting forces, from which the researchers could directly deduce the behavior of the polymer coil.
Besides the two expected friction mechanisms such as sticking and sliding the researchers detected a third one for certain combinations of polymer, solvent and surface.
"Although the polymer sticks to the surface, the polymer strand can be pulled from its coiled conformation into the surrounding solution without significant force to be exerted," experimental physicist Thorsten Hugel describes this behavior. "The cause is probably a very low internal friction within the polymer coil."
Surprisingly, desorption stick depends neither on the speed of movement nor on the support surface or adhesive strength of the polymer. Instead, the chemical nature of the surface and the quality of the solvent are decisive. For example, hydrophobic polystyrene exhibits pure sliding behavior when dissolved in chloroform. In water, however, it shows desorption stick.
"The understanding gained by our measurement of single-molecule friction opens up new ways to minimize friction," says Alexander Holleitner. "In the future, with targeted preparation of polymers, new surfaces could be developed specifically for the nano- and micrometer range."
Crawler carrying a mobile launcher 24 July 1965, the day the bearing trouble was discovered.
On 24 July the crawler moved a launch umbilical tower about 1.6 kilometers to test the crawler on two short stretches of road, one surfaced with washed gravel ("Alabama River rock") and the other with crushed granite. Preliminary data on steering forces, acceleration, vibration, and strain pointed to the gravel as the better surface. While the crawler was making its run, members of the launch team found pieces of bronze and steel on the crawlerway - the significance of which was not immediately recognized. The transporter was left out on the crawlerway over the weekend because of problems with the steering hydraulic system. On the 27th more metal fragments were discovered and a thorough search disclosed pieces of bearing races, rollers, and retainers from the crawler's traction-support roller assembly. After the transporter was returned to its parking site, a check of the roller assemblies revealed that 14 of the 176 tapered roller bearings were damaged. KSC engineers attributed the failure primarily to thrust loads encountered during steering; the anti-friction support bearings, about the size of a can of orange juice concentrate, were underdesigned for loads exerted during turns. For want of a bearing, the crawler was grounded indefinitely. And for want of a crawler the site activation schedule and the entire Apollo program would be seriously delayed.
A reexamination of Marion's design calculation indicated some other significant facts. The designers had assumed an equal load distribution on all traction support rollers; perfect thrust distribution over the entire bearing, i.e., an axial thrust equivalent to the radial load; and a coefficient of sliding friction of 0.4 (meaning it would take four million pounds of force to move a ten-million-pound object). During the early crawler runs, KSC engineers discovered an unequal load distribution on the traction support rollers. At times as many as four of the eleven rollers on one truck were bearing no load. The thrust, or side load, proved greater than expected. Finally, the crawler tests revealed that the estimated coefficient of sliding friction was far below the actual resistance experienced on the crawlerway. At a crawlerway conference on 27 June 1963, NASA engineers had insisted on a minimum design coefficient of 0.6. In the first runs on the crawlerway's macadam surface, the coefficient reached nearly 1.0.
Troubles with the crawler had not been unforeseen. Prior to the roller bearing crisis, M. E. Haworth, Jr., chief of the KSC Procurement Division, upbraided Marion for making difficulties about the tests:
KSC has tolerated innumerable delays in the assembly, tests and checkout operations of CT-1. These delays are to the definite detriment of Apollo facilities readiness and Marion's position as to the testing operations, will, if carried out, likely cause even further delays which will have a definite and substantial dollar impact on other projects directly and indirectly connected to the crawler transporter concept. The failure of Marion to fulfill its delivery obligations is in itself costing the government substantial sums which were not contemplated.
On 14 October 1965 Haworth wrote Marion, expressing grave concern over the inactivity at the erection site consequent on a new labor dispute (the unions stayed off the job for nearly six weeks). The roof fell in on both NASA and Marion when the bearing story reached the press and television. Walter Cronkite told his evening newscast audience that the crawler was sitting on wooden blocks under the hot Florida sun, with a top Washington official stating privately that it might never work. The press and Cronkite revived the controversy over the award of the contract to Marion. Politics, they hinted, was involved; and in any case the low-bid procedure might prove penny wise and pound foolish.
NASA and Marion could answer that the design and construction of a land vehicle expected to carry 8,000 metric tons was without precedent. Its very size, as the Corps of Engineers had pointed out, ruled out pre-construction tests of the coefficient of friction in its moving components. A more pertinent answer was to develop a new bearing, a hydraulically lubricated sleeve bearing made of Bearium B-10. KSC selected the bronze alloy after testing a half-dozen materials at Huntsville. The new design provided separate bearings for axial thrust and radial loads. KSC retained in the design the original supporting shafts that housed the bearings. Although the sleeve bearings would not reduce the amount of friction, they would eliminate the possibility of a sudden, catastrophic failure. Periodic inspection could determine the rate of wear and need for replacement.
The disadvantages of the sleeve bearings-lubrication difficulties, the inability to predetermine useful life, and a need for more propulsive power because of increased friction - were acceptable. Fortunately, while the crawler design had underestimated friction, there was a considerable reserve of power. At KSC and Marion, engineers designed a new bearing system. A parallel effort modified the crawler's steering hydraulic system, almost doubling the operating pressure. At KSC, the burden of the bearing crisis fell principally on Donald Buchanan's shoulders. In Marion, Ohio, Phillip Koehring directed the redesign.
The original design, which failed in early tests of the crawler.
The sleeve bearing, which solved the problem.
Marion reinstalled the support roller shafts in early December. A prototype of the sleeve bearing arrived on the 14th. After cooling it in dry ice and alcohol, the assembly crew placed the bearing in its housing. The fit proved satisfactory, and the remaining bearings were installed by mid-January. On 28 January 1966, the crawler transported a mobile launcher approximately 1.6 kilometers to the assembly building. Bearing measurements indicated an acceptable heat factor. Fortunately, KSC had initiated the crawler contract early enough to allow for both labor disputes and redesign of the bearing.
Engineers from the University of Sheffield have developed a novel technique to predict when bearings inside wind turbines will fail in an effort to make wind energy cheaper. This updated technology can also be applied to critical industrial processes.
The method, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A and developed by Mechanical Engineering research student Wenqu Chen, uses ultrasonic waves to measure the load transmitted through a ball bearing in a wind turbine. The stress on the wind turbine is recorded and then engineers can accurately forecast its remaining service life.
When a bearing is subject to a load, its dimensional thickness is reduced by a very small amount due to elastic deformation and the speed of sound is affected by the stress level in the material. Both of these effects change the time of flight of an ultrasound wave through a bearing.
The new method measures the transmitted load through the rolling bearing components. It uses a custom built piezoelectric sensor mounted in the bearing to measure the time of flight and determine the load. This sensor is less expensive and significantly smaller than others that are currently available, making it suitable for smaller turbines. It can also provide a better prediction of the bearing maintenance required, saving time and money in maintenance.
Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce, co-author of the paper and Director of the Leonardo Centre for Tribology at the University of Sheffield says: "This technique can be used to prevent unexpected bearing failures, which are a common problem in wind turbines. By removing the risk of a loss of production and the need for unplanned maintenance, it can help to reduce the cost of wind energy and make it much more economically competitive."
The new technology has been validated in the lab and is currently being tested at the Barnesmore farm in Donegal, Ireland by the Ricardo company. It is hoped it will be used in monitoring systems for other turbines.
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and Tohoku University have through their joint research developed a coating technique using a zinc oxide (ZnO) material, an environment-friendly, low-friction material developed exclusively by NIMS. When bearing balls were coated with the ZnO material, the material's low frictional characteristics were maintained and the friction coefficient of the bearing was reduced by approximately one-third.
A research group consisting of Masahiro Goto, distinguished chief researcher, Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, NIMS; Michiko Sasaki, postdoctoral researcher, Center for Materials Research by Information Integration, NIMS; Masahiro Tosa, group leader, Research Center for Structural Materials, NIMS; Kazue Kurihara, professor, and Motohiro Kasuya, assistant professor, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University has developed a coating technique using a zinc oxide (ZnO) material, an environment-friendly, low- material developed exclusively by NIMS.
When bearing balls were coated with the ZnO material, the material's low frictional characteristics were maintained and the coefficient of friction was reduced by about 1/3. The research group and Fox Corporation jointly developed a small jet engine generator for emergency use. By integrating the ZnO-coated bearings into the generator, its fuel consumption was reduced by 1%.
In consideration of worsening global environmental and energy issues, it is important to reduce friction in drive mechanisms. However, because the mechanically driven part in an engine may become extremely hot, friction reduction technology applied in such an environment must be heat resistant. We focused on ZnO, capable of both reducing friction and resisting heat, and identified its friction reduction mechanism at the nanometer level.
We also developed a basic technique to apply a low-friction ZnO coating by controlling the crystal orientation of ZnO. In efforts to put the developed basic technique to practical use, we applied the technique to reduce the friction level of commercially-available, high-performance bearings to an even further extent.
We developed the technique for applying ZnO coating to bearing balls while controlling the crystal orientation of the ZnO material by rotating bearing balls in cage-shaped sample holders. As a result, we succeeded in reducing the friction coefficient of the bearings by approximately one-third. In addition, we integrated the resulting bearings into a small jet engine, evaluated its performance, and observed a 1% reduction in fuel consumption.
We also worked to miniaturize generators to be used in times of emergency when procurement of fuel is difficult. In this effort, we succeeded in developing a small turbine jet engine power generator equipped with ZnO-coated bearings. It weighs only about 40 kg, and can be carried by two adults. This compact generator, however, can produce 8,000 W of power, which can approximately cover the amount of power consumed by two households and will be made available for emergency use.
The newly developed low-friction ZnO coating is expected to be applicable not only to bearings but also to any mechanically driven part that requires friction reduction, given that the coating is usable in a wide range of conditions: from ambient to high temperature, in oil, in vacuum and in other fluids like air.
This study was conducted in line with the university-led green innovation project "Green Network of Excellence (GRENE)" sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. More specifically, this study was carried out in accordance with the "Green Tribology Innovation Network" project (Principal investigator: Professor Kazue Kurihara, Tohoku University) within a GRENE category, the "Advanced Environmental Materials." We will give a presentation on this study on August 5, 2016, during the PRICM9 meetings to be held in Kyoto.
Provided by: National Institute for Materials Science
An innovative paint system may make everything faster and more efficient. The inspiration and model for the comes from nature. The scales of fast-swimming sharks have evolved in a manner that significantly reduces drag.
The challenge was to apply this information to create a paint that could withstand the demands of aircraft. With temperature environments of -55 to +70 degrees Celsius, intense UV radiation and high speeds. Yvonne Wilke, Dr. Volkmar Stenzel and Manfred Peschka of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Applied Materials Research IFAM in Bremen, Germany, developed not only a paint that reduces but also the associated manufacturing technology. In recognition of their achievement, the team was awarded the 2010 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for their pioneering efforts.
The paint is a sophisticated formulation. An important part of the recipe are the, which ensure that the paint is durable and withstands UV radiation, temperature change and mechanical loads. "Paint offers more advantages," explains Dr. Volkmar Stenzel. "It is applied as the outermost coating on the plane, so that no other layer of material is required. It adds no additional weight, and even when the airplane is stripped - about every five years, the paint has to be completely removed and reapplied - no additional costs are incurred. In addition, it can be applied to complex three-dimensional surfaces without a problem."
The next step was to clarify how the paint could be made on a mass-production scale. "Our solution consisted of not applying the paint directly, but instead through a stencil," says Manfred Peschka. This gives the paint its sharkskin structure. The unique challenge was to apply the fluid paint evenly in a thin layer on the stencil, and at the same time ensure that it can again be detached from the base even after, which is required for hardening.
When applied to every airplane every year throughout the world, the paint could save a volume of 4.48 million tons of fuel. This also applies to ships: The team was able to reduce wall friction by more than five percent in a test ship construction testing facility. Extrapolated over one year, that means a potential savings of 2,000 tons of fuel for a large container ship. With this application, the algae or mussels/barnacles that attach to the hull of a ship only complicate things further. Researchers are working on two solutions for the problem. Yvonne Wilke explains: "One possibility exists in structuring the paint in such a way that these clinging organisms cannot get a firm grasp and are simply washed away at high speeds. The second option aims at integrating an anti-fouling element, which is incompatible for the creatures."
Irrespective of the fuel savings, there are even more interesting applications with wind energy farms. Air resistance has a negative effect on the rotor blades. The new paint could improve the efficiency of the systems as well.
Machines with sliding and rolling parts are virtually ubiquitous. European researchers to develop high-performing coatings and lubricants based on a new class of molecules to significantly reduce wear.
Moving parts in contacting other components must be lubricated to reduce friction and wear. Over time, machine performance and efficiency are lost and maintenance time and cost increase,
Conventional industrial lubricants are typically based on hydrocarbons and can cause considerable damage to the environment when not disposed of properly.
European researchers sought to develop innovative composite coatings for moving parts to reduce friction and extend operational life as well as reduce maintenance and environmental impact. They focused on the use of inorganic fullerene-like materials (IFLMs).
Fullerenes are a class of 'hollow' molecules composed entirely of carbon and first identified in 1985. Buckyballs, the spherical variety with bonding formation resembling the pattern on a soccer ball, and buckytubes, carbon nanotubes, have received a great deal of attention since then due to their unique chemical and physical properties.
It turns out that carbon, the main component of most organic molecules, is not the only element to form fullerenes and nanotubes. Inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles have been shown to have excellent lubricant behaviour.
With funding of the 'Fullerene-based opportunities for robust engineering: making optimised surfaces for tribology' (Foremost) project, scientists developed coatings and lubricants based on incorporation of nanoparticles composed of IFLMs.
Scientists incorporated preformed IFLMs into the deposition process, lubricant or paint and also formed the IFLMs in situ during the deposition process.
Full characterisation of chemical, structural and mechanical properties enabled elucidation of IFLM lubrication mechanisms and deeper understanding for better future design and application.
In addition, investigators provided important input regarding health and safety with respect to the IFLMs.
The tremendous variety of coatings and lubricants developed by Foremost significantly reduced friction in sliding tests, impressively outperforming current state-of-the-art alternatives.
They were also high performers in reducing fretting fatigue, wear induced by shear stress or vibration at contact points between two parts under heavy load. This result is of particular importance to the aerospace industry.
Foremost lubricants based on fullerene-type (aka Buckminster Fuller type structures) molecules have broad-sweeping application. They should help reduce maintenance costs and downtime as well as extend the operational life of a wide variety of machines and components.
