MechSE Professors Partner with Researchers at New Illinois Center for Advanced Tribology

6/26/2012 By Kathryn L. Heine

The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has teamed up with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University to form the Illinois Center for Advanced Tribology (ICAT). The new center will focus on developing solutions to technical issues related to transportation and health, as well as systems that operate in extreme environments.

Written by By Kathryn L. Heine

The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has teamed up with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University to form the Illinois Center for Advanced Tribology (ICAT). The new center will focus on developing solutions to technical issues related to transportation and health, as well as systems that operate in extreme environments.

Tribology is the science and technology of friction, lubrication and interactive surfaces in relative motion that are evident in virtually everything that moves, including human beings. Andreas Polycarpou, one of two MechSE professors who will be conducting research through the center, explained that mechanical systems that operate under extreme loads, temperatures and speeds, such as those found in military field operations in the Middle East, face premature failure due to poor lubricity. "Thermal degradation of base fluids and additives are accelerated at high temperatures, and oil viscosity is poor at high temperatures and further aggravated by the presence of sand," he said. "So one of the many innovations we plan to make is the development of self-healing sufaces; such technology would be highly desirable for extreme-condition applications."

MechSE Professor Petros Sofronis, an expert in the deformation of materials in the presence of hydrogen who will also be conducting research with the center, explained that ICAT members bring together complementary, and in some cases unique capabilities to resolve critical wear and lubrication issues such as friction, wear and lubrication challenges associated with alternative fuels like biofuels and hydrogen; improving durability and long-term health risks associated with replacement joints, and improving the functionality and longevity of systems that operate in extreme environments.


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This story was published June 26, 2012.