Biotribology Overview

Tribology Key Elements

The resistance that one surface or object encounters when sliding over another.

FRICTION WEAR LUBRICATION

The resistance that one surface or object encounters when sliding over another.

The damaging, gradual removal or deformation of material at solid surfaces.

The process of introducing a substance to reduce friction and wear between surfaces in contact.

Innovative Biotribology Instruments

Enhances performance

Quantifies sensory perception

Improves quality of life

Minimises development costs

Industries we work with:

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

By quantifying sensory perception, we are aiding the development of healthier, lower cost foods with the same ‘mouth feel’ as market leading products.

‘Creamy’, ‘sugary’ and ‘slimy’ are all adjectives commonly used to describe foods during consumer panel testing.By linking these adjectives to physical, measurable properties of a sample, analysis can be performed to screen numerous new formulations without the expense and ambiguity of panel tests, saving companies both time and money.

Using our instruments, researchers have discovered that the frictional properties of our favourite foods are related to their fat and sugar content (i.e. the higher the fat content the lower the friction coefficient, hence the creamier the taste).

Research areas include: • Reduced fat dairy products such as

yoghurt, cream, mayonnaise and chocolate

• Astringency of wine, green/black tea and fruit

• Carbonated vs non-carbonated beverages

• Reduced sugar content of beverages

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

By quantifying sensory perception, our instruments aid the development of improved quality, lower cost formulations with the same ‘skin feel’ as market leading products.

Personal care products are constantly evolving and we expect high quality, long lasting effects from every formulation.

‘Sticky’, ‘greasy’ and ‘moisturising’ are subjective terms and are all related to the frictional properties of skin cream. Using our instruments you can quantify these properties for your formulation and compare them to market leading products, reducing the need for panel and animal testing.

Research areas include:• Skin cream analysis• Wear properties of make up• Nail varnish chipping resistance• Sun cream effectiveness• The feel of hair products and soaps• Abrasion of toothbrushes and paste

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

By improving our understanding of how materials perform within the human body, we aid the discovery and development of refined alternatives, enabling us to live a more fulfilling lifestyle.

We are continually pushing our bodies to their limits and expecting them to perform even after we have had artificial implants. To ensure our medical professionals provide the most effective replacements, it is imperative we have a sound understanding of the friction and wear properties of both our natural systems and artificial alternatives under realistic conditions.

Research areas include:• Orthopaedics: synovial joints and

articular cartilage, osteoarthritis and meniscus damage

• Artificial Joints: articular joints, spinal, stent

• Biomaterials: scaffolds for bone/cartilage repair, implant materials, additive manufacturing

• Ocular: ocular surfaces, lubricity of contact lenses

• Dental: tooth/implant wear, implants

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

Through understanding the friction and wear properties of dog dental chews, we can ensure we are providing the most effective and enjoyable products to our furry friends.

Taking care of our pets’ hygiene is just as important as looking after our own. Dental hygiene ensures clean teeth, freshened breath and prevents the build up of plaque. As animals are not able to tell us which products work best, we can use testing methods to collect this information.

The friction produced between the teeth and dental chew during the chewing action removes plaque and tartar between the teeth. This friction varies with the surface roughness and texture of the chew. Using our instruments, comparative studies can be performed to quantify this friction and determine the most effective materials.

Research areas include:• Dog dental chews• Wear of horse shoes and their effect on

the horse’s lower limbs

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

Improving the tribological properties of sports equipment by a fraction can be the difference between gold and silver. Our instruments aid in these developments.

We all know every second counts when it comes to top level sports competitions. The equipment athletes use plays a crucial role in their performance. For example, materials which decrease the friction between skis and snow and thus increase speed are essential - hence the need for advanced tribological testing.

Not only is research important to improve performance, in some cases using the wrong equipment, like the wrong tyres in Formula 1 or poor quality chalk when climbing, can have fatal consequences.

Research areas include:• Improved grip of rugby balls and tennis

shoes• Performance of skis• Bicycle tyre and road interaction• Effectiveness of rock-climbing chalk• Material properties of golf club handles

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

By understanding the tribological properties of oral medicines, manufacturers can work towards improving their ingestion methods and thereby patients’ quality of life.

Dysphagia is a medical term for swallowing difficulties and is a common problem when ingesting prescription pills.

The tribological properties of the swallowing process, more specifically the interaction between the tongue, oesophagus and pill, creates most of the problem. Research into these properties and suitable alternatives is ongoing.

Research areas include:• Reducing the friction during needle

insertion • Inhalers and nasal sprays

Biotribology Industries

Food & Beverage

Biomedical

Sport

Other Industries

Personal Care

Pet Care

Pharmaceutical

Tribology is everywhere, and the versatility of our instruments enables them to be used for almost all applications to aid the development of new and improved materials, formulations and lubricants.

Other application areas we have worked in include: • Fabric softeners with reduced friction to

improve skin feel • Washing up brushes with increased

abrasiveness to improve effectiveness• Reducing frictional properties of personal

lubricants• Haptic perception of touchscreen

devices

Our products

Biotribology Machine (BTM)

What is it? Benefits Results

The BTM is our most versatile instrument so far, accommodating almost any motion cycle. Interchangeable upper and lower specimen holders are available to test a wide range of materials and surfaces including skin mimics, razor heads, toothbrushes and hydrogels. This enables direct comparisons to be made between commercially available brands. Different specimen mounting platforms and sample baths are available.

The BTM’s precise loading system can accurately apply loads of 0.5 N and the sensitive transducers can detect extremely fine frictional variations throughout the motion path. The open architecture of the instrument allows you to add additional post analysis testing equipment to your set-up, further expanding its research capabilities.

What is it? Benefits Results

Launching in 2019, the BTM is a research instrument designed to replicate the low load, low speed conditions found in many biological contacts, including those with complex, dynamic loading cycles and bi-directional motion. Sensors record the frictional force in the contact in both directions of motion.

An optional colour camera can be used to produce live video, as well as position triggered still images.

Load: 0.5 to 5 N Stroke: 20 µm to 20 mm (in both x and y) Frequency: 0.1 to 20 Hz Temperature: Ambient to 70 C

Increasing Price

A B C

What is it? Benefits Results

High speed friction measurements can be recorded throughout a test, allowing changes to the friction profile of a cycle to be analysed as well as longer term variations over the course of an entire test. The simple data format facilitates further analysis in a wide variety of applications, allowing the comparison and benchmarking of formulations against market leading products, as illustrated.

The graph shows friction coefficient against time for three commercially available anti-ageing skin creams with prices ranging from low to high (A to C respectively). It can be seen that the better quality formulations have a lower friction coefficient. This correlates with panel test results, which described the most expensive skin cream as less ‘sticky’ than the cheaper formulations.

What is it? Benefits

Data is displayed graphically in real time and is available after the test for in-depth analysis and comparisons between formulations. This analysis can be performed in a range of applications.

The graph shows friction coefficients of a range of commercially available yoghurts with varying fat content across a range of conditions present during oral processing. These results can be closely correlated to popularity and ’creaminess’ of the yoghurt, as defined by a panel test. [1]

Mini Traction Machine (MTM)

What is it? Benefits Results

Results

The unique ball-on-disc set up enables an unrivalled number of conditions to be simulated. The combinations of rolling and sliding speeds have been correlated to the motions found in oral processing, artificial joints and other biological applications making the MTM the go to choice for many industry experts. We have sold over 300 systems and results from the MTM have been published in over 500 technical papers covering all aspects of tribology, enabling knowledge sharing between researchers across the fields.

The specimens are available in a wide variety of materials, such as PDMS, PEEK, UHMWPE, glass and rubber. Other popular accessories include the mini–pot, thin load beam, reciprocating option and grease scoop, which further extend the MTM’s capabilities.

What is it? Benefits Results

The MTM is a flexible, general purpose instrument for measuring the frictional properties of lubricated and unlubricated contacts under a wide range of rolling and sliding conditions.

The two specimens (ball and disc) are fitted to the system and a small sample (40 ml) is added to the steel pot. When the test begins, the ball is loaded against the face of the disc and both specimens are driven independently to allow any combination of sliding and rolling to be generated. The frictional force between the two specimens is measured and recorded automatically throughout the test. The data files from the test can be retained and analysed as required.

Load: 0 to 75 N Speed: -4 to 4 ms-1 SRR: 0 to 200 % Temperature: 5 to 150 C

[1] Laguna L, Farrell G, Bryant M, Morina A, Sarkar A, Relating rheology and tribology of commercial dairy colloids to sensory perception, Food & Function 2017, 8, 563

High Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR)

What is it?

What is it?

What is it?

Benefits

Benefits

Benefits

Results

Results

Results

The High Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR) is ball-on-disc instrument which accurately measures the friction coefficient at varying frequencies between 10 and 200 Hz.

Post test analysis of the contact area on the ball can be completed using an optional microscope, camera and associated software to gain further in-depth understanding of the formulation’s performance.

Temperature: Ambient to 150 C Load: 0 to 1 kg Stroke: 20 µm to 2 mm Friction Force: max 10 N

The graph illustrates the friction coefficient against time for a range of chocolates with varying cocoa solids content. The highest cocoa content friction trace remains at its maximum value throughout the test in comparison to the 70% sample where the friction coefficient gradually decreases after its initial peak.

The 37% cocoa solid (milk) sample friction trace follows a similar pattern to that of the 70%. Its maximum friction is lower than the other two samples [2]. These values could be linked to the creaminess or fattiness of the samples and therefore the popularity of one brand or formulation over another.

The small (2 ml) sample volume makes the HFRR a good choice when the test material is expensive or difficult to obtain, such as human synovial fluid or saliva. The removable lower specimen holder enables each user to perform post test analysis on their sample away from the instrument. This facilitates a quick turnaround between tests and a simple cleaning procedure.

Specimens are available in a range of materials and geometries, and the lower specimen can be substituted for a microscopic glass slide to aid further research.

The HFRR is extremely compact, allowing it to fit into even the busiest of labs.

[2] Masen M, Cann PME, 2018, Friction measurements with molten chocolate, Tribology Letters, Vol: 66, ISSN: 1023-8883

If you have any questions:info@pcs-instruments.com

+44 (0)20 8600 9920

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@pcsinstruments

‘Tribology is an important regime during oral processing (mouthfeel) and it is therefore important for us to have the ability to measure these properties accurately. PCS Instruments have been a valuable partner for us, not only providing us with reliable and precise instrumentation, but through their continued above and beyond customer service support.’

‘The machines provide accurate measurement results under simulated physiological conditions. The open architecture allows us to complement these friction measurements with in-situ imaging which helps us understand the complex interactions between many biomedical systems.’

Stefan Baier, Senior Principal Scientist & Associate R&D Fellow, PepsiCo, USA

Dr Marc Masen, Senior Lecturer in Biotribology, Imperial College London