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© Copyright AC2T research GmbH 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material, whether by photocopying, photographing orstoring in any medium by electronic or other means is prohibited without prior written consent of AC2T research GmbH.

AAustrian ustrian CCenter of enter of CCompetence for ompetence for TTribologyribology(AC2T research GmbH)

Austrian Ministryfor Transport,

Innovation and Technology

ecoplus

A. Pauschitz and F. Franek

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Questions

Why does Austria have a Tribology research centre?

Where and what is “AC²T” and “XTribology”?

What are the funding programme history and rules?

Is Tribology a field of science?

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How the field of Tribology is perceived

Reduce Friction

SufficientLubrication

ReduceWear

surface topography (roughness)

contact energy

lubricant alteration

cooling

contact pressure

equalisation

particle contamination

Classical Tribology

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The expansion of objectives in Tribology

Modern Tribology

ReduceCosts

ReduceEnergy Consumption

ReduceEnvironmental

Impact

IncreaseRecyclability

IncreaseBio-

degradability

IncreaseLife-time

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Global situation 1/2

The main – and fairly new (since 1966!) – concept of Tribology is inter-disciplinary !

There is an intrinsic need for personnelfrom different disciplines !

Most research institutions (like university institutes)

are typically focussing on narrow fields with high specialisation !

Larger entities (e.g., research departments of international

corporate groups) with inter-disciplinary infrastructure are mostly not specialising in Tribology !

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Global situation 2/2

There is still a lack of awareness of (and a lack of

education on) the specific subject !

There are comparatively few (units in) organisationsexplicitly devoted to Tribology !

Normally existing units (“Tribology departments”)

are comparatively small (about 6 – 15 persons) !

There is a need for cooperation between researchers and/or institutions, in order to overcome “simple multi-disciplinarity” and to proceed to cross-disciplinarity and even trans-disciplinarity !

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Situation in Austria

No university master course in Tribology only few lectures

No university chairs in Tribology marginal visibility

To few Tribological engineers in industry if engineers do not know Tribology, why should

money be spent for research in Tribology?

Advantage: Industry is forced to buy Tribology knowledge(e.g., from AC²T)

Disadvantage: AC²T must educate staff in Tribologyon their own (or recruit international staff)

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The chicken-and-egg problem

Demand for Tribology in

industryIncreaseresearch activities

More Tribology education activities

Increase # of educated alumni

in Tribology

More Tribology knowledge available

in industry

today's Austrian way

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How to get an Excellence Centre for Tribology ?

One needs “crazy” people

Define a clear vision and roadmap

Spend your leisure and accept that perhaps nobody is paying you to write the proposals

It must be a job and a vocation for some

Be at the right place at the right time

Know relevant (groups of) people

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Selected the right window

Idea supported by decision makers

(staff of ministry)

Since the 1970s the Austrian Tribology

Society acts as platform for industry/academic

cooperation in Tribology

Attracted public attention (World

Tribology Congress 2001 [preparation: 1998 - 2001])

A novel and advanced research funding program

was established in

Austria in 1997

Around 2000, Tribological activities increased in Austria

(1970s: tribology starts in Austria; 1980s: 1st peak - perception in the industry rises; 1990s: 1st valley –

research costs to high (“ROI” too low)

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What was/is the attractiveness of Tribology for decision makers in Austria

Public climate protection and energy discussion

Intensified drive to cut costs in industry

Search for activities to enhance competitiveness of the economy

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Austrian Center of Competence for Tribology

Developing and operating an internationally visible centre of excellence with an emphasis

on Tribology

Our vision & mission

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Highly competent scientists as leaders & key researchers thinking in the ways of their respective disciplines

Staff with extraordinary knowledge

Use of top methods & approaches

Collaborate where possible topush Tribology forward

Our holistic approach

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… is a private limited liability company: Austrian Center of Competence for Tribology (ACCT = AC²T) AC²T research GmbH

… was founded in July 2002

… has about 150 employees (more than 100 scientists) and collaborates closely with scientists from universities)

… provides technology development in Tribology for the industry and SMEs on a cost-efficient “time-sharing basis” and making use of synergies by collaboration with relevant research institutions

The Austrian Center of Competence for Tribology …

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History and staff development of AC²T

Nie

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Aw

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“Mile

sto

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20

10

”–

Dr.

Erw

in P

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Fu

ture

-Aw

ard

Kplus Centre

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Comet K2 XTribology

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20

60

80

40

120

100

140

Scientists

Administration

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… is one of the largest private and independent research service providers – solely orientated – in Tribology and tribology-related topics in the world

… performs all core activities in the Technology and Research Centre at the physical location Wiener Neustadt Technopole

… operates the umbrella project “Excellence Centre of Tribology” (COMET K2 Centre “XTribology”)

Today the Austrian Center of Competence for Tribology …

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Organisational chart

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Research Areas

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Ownership

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2020

XTribology

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XTribology research program

AC²T runs the long-term research umbrella project “XTribology” within the partly public-funded

program, which is open for international cooperation

Pre-competitive, interdisciplinary research (fundamental and applied research) in multi-firm projects of high priority

Possibilities for postgraduate education(especially for doctorate students)

Co-operation with Austrian and foreign partners

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XTribology – Advantages for Partners

Long-term access to research promotion funds(without time-consuming single-applications by the partners)

Access to interdisciplinary knowledge and development as well as improvement of partner co-operations; combination of complementary expertises

Time-variable and -efficient use of infrastructure and human resources of the Centre and the scientific partners

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Research programme „history“

Kplus* programme (2-stage international evaluation [short proposal – 30 pages & appendix, full proposal –120 pages & appendix])

each call up to 6 centres (1st call [1998] – „for academic insiders“; 2nd call [1999] another research group of the institute participated; 3rd call [12/2000] – participation of the tribology research grouptogether with other institutes [physics, chemistry] – decision: 01/2002

COMET** programme (2-stage international evaluation [short proposal – 50 pages & appendix, full proposal –150 pages & appendix])

up to 5 K2 centres in Austria (1st call [2007] – 3 K2 centres; 2nd call [2009] – 2 K2 centres; one of them was XTribologyother calls for K1 centres and K-projects

** COMET: Research funding programme of Austria for“Competence Center of Excellence Technologies”

* Kplus: Research funding programme of Austria for“Competence & Added Value”

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K1

internationalnational

Focus of cooperation

Ap

plic

ati

on

-ori

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tate

d

Fo

cus

of

rese

arch F

un

da

me

nta

l re

sear

ch

K2

Possible position of a …… K2-centre

… K1-centre

… non-K2

… non-K1

Focus of COMET centres

R&

D

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COMET-R&D-Budget: up to € 15 Mio./a; ~ 50% of this is expected as funding money

Duration: 5 + 5 years (continuation is possible)

Human capacity: ~ 150 FTE; out of which~ 40 should be PhD students

Company partners: > 5; typically 30 - 60

Scientific partners: > 2; typically 20 - 50

Visibility & collaboration: strong & international

K2 Centre

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General COMET funding model

Scientific partner contribution

Federal fundingby Austria

Provincial funding

Companypartner (CP) contribution

55-40%

5%

40

-55

% (

2:1

)

app

licat

ion

-ori

enta

ted

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earc

h

app

licat

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ted

bas

ic r

esea

rch

min

. 50

%m

ax.

50%

cash payment

in-kind contribution

K2K1

Relation cash/in-kind on the basis of all CP contributions

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Is Tribology a science?

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Focus of Tribology research

Tribology research needs more than one producer of a part of a tribosystem as project partner to realise the optimal result; this is untypical for other sciences

Tribology research needs confidence of the customer, because typically the goal of tribology research is often the optimisation of weak functions of a product/system (and not of one part).

Tribology research questions differ from other sciences

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Leonardo da Vinci (1512)

Friction experiments

Probably one of the first scientists in Tribology

www.google.at

www.google.at

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F. Franek

Exhibition object, WTC IV, Kyoto (J), 2009

Sketches of a ball bearing cage (avoiding ball-ball contact),designed by Leonardo da Vinci (Codex Madrid I)

www.google.at

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Base and Focus of interdisciplinary research in Tribology

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Imaging of tribolayer chemistry

Stress-induced distribution of organic and inorganic species

Light microscopeimage

disc wear scar

MS imagecation

XPS imageinorganic fluoride

up to 6.4 at %

MS imageanion

250 µm

250 µm

Gabler et al, Green Chem, 2011Gabler et al, Anal Chem, 2012; Gabler et al, Trib Int, 2014

Oxidation in tribocontact

Light microscopeimage

disc wear scar

MS imageintact cation

MS imageoxidised cation

+ 1 O

MS imageoxidised cation

+ 2 O

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Varga et al., Tribol. Int. 65 (2013), 190-199

Erosion on side walls

Corrosiveenvironment

Impact

Abrasion during crushing

Up to 900°C

3-Body wear rate

Hot hardness

Co-based hardfacings

Cast materials

Carbide-richFe-based

hardfacings

Cast material Carbide-rich hardfacing

Mechanically mixed layer formation

Carbide-breakage,matrix support fails

Rojacz et al., Mat. Sci. Eng. A 562 (2013), 39-45

High temperature wear

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Radio-Isotope Concentration method (RIC)Wear behaviour in engine and component test

Influence of bio-ethanol

Oil Pump

European Patent EP2126543 (B1)Jech M., PhD Thesis (2012)

© AUDI

Lenauer C. et al., Tribol.Int. (2014)Lenauer C., PhD Thesis (in progress)

Friction and nanoscopic wear

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smooth particle (SPM) visualisation⇛ contact area quantification

sliding resistance area in lubricant-lubricant interface

good correlation

S. Eder et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 23, 175004 (2011)

S. Eder et al., Comp. Phys. Comm. 185, 217 (2014)S. Eder et al., Langmuir 29, 13760 (2013)

F(L) = F0 + Aasp(L) + L

system parameters

A. Vernes et al., Faraday Discuss. 156, 173 (2012)

configurational entropy of lubricant

S. Eder, PhD Thesis (2012)

Three-term Kinetic Friction Law

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Conclusion

Tribology research is focussed on complex systems:developing systematic/theoretical foundations,

determining material parameters of interacting soft and hard materials,

covering changes of energy state, material, etc.

Tribology research has several mother sciences, interacting in a very complex system; thus Tribology is not a subfield of another science; Tribology is an independent science !

But Tribology is much more than only the science of rubbing !

Tribology is a term covering a complex system described by knowledge from several mother disciplines !

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Our scientific umbrella: The Tribotope concept

The TRIBOTOPE concept (German "Tribotop“) follows a similar idea to the biotope:

Tribotope: Greek (tribeïn) = “rub” and (topos) = “place”

Thus, the word Tribotope, literally translated, means a space “where Tribology happens”.

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Tribotope versus Tribosystem – and vice versa

Whereas a Tribosystem by its definition may comprise –according the intentions (and knowledge) of the respective observer – even fairly large components, whole aggregates and considerable parts of the environment, the Tribotope focuses on smaller and more specific regions.

In that sense, a Tribotope can be understood as a near-field tribosystem (with the narrowest possible system boundaries), i.e., the field of observation in order to describe the immediate interaction between at least one base body and a counteracting body and – in case – an intermediate substance and the impacts thereof on the actual state of involved materials.

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Condition and processes under observation

geometric (micro)structures of surfaces

their generation & alteration during tribological processes

failure mechanisms in near-surface zones

transport of wear particles & contaminants

adsorption processes & chemical reactions of & caused by lubricating matter

(nano-)rheological effects of lubricant flow

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Summary

Find the right window to create a research centre

Tribology is a separate field of science

AC²T was founded in 2002 and is running a research umbrella project beyond 2020

Knowledge gain in Tribology goes from the global Tribosystem to the Tribotope approach and vice versa

Without increasing Tribology research activities in Europe we will lose the manufacturing industry

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4141

All information in this publication and all further technical advice is based on our present knowledge.

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