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Gordon Research Conference (GRC)
The Gordon Research Conferences are held every two years and they are small groups (100-150) of researchers and students who gather to discuss current research issues and to possibly address as a group, issues that need to be resolved to move further in an area. The GRC on Tribology was held from June 27 to July 7, 2010 at Colby College in Waterville, Me. It was attended by about 130 people from many countries. There appeared to be more young researchers and students than “old” researchers and there appeared (to me) to be more physicists than any other technical persuasion.
The theme of the conference was “Challenges at the B????? Interface.” The format for the conferences was: several invited lectures in the morning, free afternoons, and several invited lectures in the evening. There were about 80 posters in the break areas. Many researchers are using focused ion beam (FIB) sectioning tools to make cross-section slices transverse to wear scars and then analyzing these cross-sections with transition electron microscopy (TEM). There was lots of this at this GRC. Since the group was heavy in physicists, many presentations included molecular dynamics computer simulations of what happens at the atom and molecular level between sliding surfaces. There appeared to be varied opinions on what is the best fundamental quantum mechanic base to use for these simulations.
There seemed to be less biotribology than in other wear conferences, but one thing that was very evident was that the joint wear/friction problem was still with us. Nobody agrees on what is the best couple to use: plastec on steel, plastic on ceramic, metal on metal. (I used to be a metal-to-metal person, but now I am swaying towards ceramic-to-plastic.)
There was not much discussion on “industrial tribology”: abrasion, erosion, bearings, machining fluids, traction, gears, cams, etc. since most of the attendees were theoreticians and academians. This has been the norm for the 12 or 14 GRC conferences that I have attended. However, we practitioners who attend always pick up some ideas for industrial use and keep abreast of what is happening at a higher level.
Overall, this was a wonderful and refreshing conference. It was chaired by Mark Robbins of John Hopkins University and co chaired by Alfons Fischer, University Kharlstat Essen. William Unertle of the University of Maine chaired the poster sessions. Hopefully, these Gordon tribology conferneces will continue and help bring together the diverse elements that constitute the field of tribology.
OSU Nanoprobe Laboratory
Professor Bharat Bhushan held his 17th Nanotribology Short Course and Sponsors Meeting at the Ohio State University (OSU) Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio and Nanotechnology and Biomemetics. The nature of Bharat’s work has changed over the years from research on magnetic media to research with the study of surfaces for applications ranging from face creams to automobile batteries (lithium ion).
The Nanoprobe Lab uses scanning probe microscopes (STM?, AFM’s) and nanoindentation and scratching ???????? couple with OSU’s complete complement of surface science instruments to study how surfaces form and react to control various properties. For example, in current battery studies, they use AFM’s to measure physical changes to anode and cathode materials as they age (are used) and then use chemical analysis and other surface science technologies to explain the observed physical changes.
In the area of biomemetrics, they are using the hydophobic surfaces on lotus leaves to engineer self-cleaning surfaces for equipment and structures. They are copying shark skin to make surfaces with reduced fluid drag.
They are still doing more traditional tribology work like lubrication of MEM’s and NEM’s and using AFM and other surface science techniques to investigate MEM and NEM problems like sticking of micromirrors in digital devices.
Bharat’s annual review gives sponsors and industrial users of his technologies an opportunity to interact with the students and post-docs who perform the research in the OSU Nanotribology Lab. They are a unique facility and his lab continues to produce new learnings, publications, and patents relating to nanotechnology.
Bratrib – The First International Brazilian Conference on Tribology
This was a siminar event for Professor ????????? de Mello of the University of ______, ABM and Brazil. Professor de Mello organized the event. ABM, the metallurgical materials and Mining Society of Brazil sponsored the conference. There have been conferences going back to 1998 on tribology, but this was their first international project. There were many people helping Professor organize the event, but they made the conference special through invited speakers that included some of the highest names in the business:
Ali Erdimer (Keynote), Argonne National Lab (USA) -- “Innovative Design Concepts in Surface Engineering”
Kailneing ZumGarr, University of Karlsruhe (Germany) – “Advanced Materials and Surface Design for Tribocomponents.”
Izhak Etsion, Technician – Isreal Institute of Technology (Isreal) – “A Review of Laser Surface Texturing Applications.”
Jean Michel Martin, Ecole Centrole de Lyon (France) – “Tribochemical Reactions Revisited.”
Hugh Spikes, “Boundary Lubrication; History and Recent Developments.”
Professor Ikemi, Tokyo City University (Japan) – “Recent Engine Tribological Investigations at Tokyo City University.”
Maria Isabel de Barros Bouchet, Ecole Central de Lyon (France) – “Advanced Boundary Lubrication of Hard Carbon Coatings with Green ????”
Ken Holmberg, VTT (Finland) – “Coated Surface Wear Prediction by Computer Modeling.”
Professor Bronovets Morat Aleksandrovich, Russian Academy of Science (Russia) – “Space Tribology.”
Professor Staffan Jacobson, Uppsala University (Sweden) – “Resistance to Abrasive Wear – Fundamental and Practical Aspects.”
Professor John William, Cambridge University (UK) – “Tribology at a Small Scale: Learning from Nature.”
The conference lasted for three days and it was held at the Rio Othon Palace Hotel on Cocacabana Beach in Rio de Janiero. There were 114 attendees from about 20 countries and 25 papers were presented orally and another 20 or so were presented as posters. Session topics ranged from Biotribology Modeling and Simulation Fundamentals to Tribology in Rolling Mills and Manufacturing Processes. It was indeed refreshing to listen to excellent work on real tribology problems: cavitation erosion in turbines, hardfacings for communication equipment, railroad wear, grinding ball wear, pump seals, automatic transmissions, piston rings, gear wear, disk brakes, and plain bearings. Of course, there were plenty of talks on the vagaries and nuances of these coatings, but there was a feeling that this conference was contributing to solving real industrial and economic problems as opposed to the usual offerings that are in many cases Ph.D. theses results.
The conference was concluded by a presentation by the Chairman of ABM and he stated that Brazil is on track to become the number one exporter of petroleum in the world. Their economy (GNP) will grow by 7 ½ % this year. They will host the World Conference in 2014 and the Olympics in 2015. As a country, they plan to place 10 million people in their “first home” and they have plans for significant improvements in their infrastructure. With 190 million people and oil wealth, Brazil is indeed a country on the move and this introduction of an international tribology effort was certainly in keeping with these plans. The organizers and ABM are to be congratulated on a great conference.
ASTM G2 Fall 2010 Meeting, Jacksonville, FL – December 7 – 9
Visit to the University of Florida Labs:
The technical activity associated with the fall meeting of the ASTM G2 Committee in Wear and Erosion was a visit to the lab of Professor Greg ????’s tribology lab at the University of Florida in Gainsville. Greg actually has seven labs in the mechanical engineering building and he showed a group of eight G2 attendees his equipment and gave us a snapshot of his project work.
Greg has a number of Ph.D. and Master’s students that he supervises and project work centers on sliding surfaces together with techniques that allow all forces and environmental conditions to be known and recorded throughout a test. He also has the capability to measure and analyze films and transfer to rubbing surfaces with almost every analytical tool that is known (EDAX, XRF, SIMS, Raman, etc.). He even has real time analytical capability and is even working tyncotion techniques to look through solids in real time to assess wear happenings.
Current projects include the wear properties of polymer based nanocomposites, contact lens vs eye cells, and space tribology. Greg has six tribotesters on the international space station. Greg is tribolog’s rock star. His equipment and staff may be without parallel in the US. It was a very informative and rewarding visit and Greg and his staff are to be complemented for the incredible work that they do in tribology.
Friction Activities:
The Fall 2010 meeting was chaired by Ken Budinski (Bud Labs). The status of the subcommittee’s standards was reviewed and it was determined that the G182 standard on ?????? of breakaway friction of rolling element bearings will need balloting for reapproval in 2011. Ken Budinski will review the standard and make any necessary revisions.
Greg Tri??? Reported that he has established a work item to develop a test method for measuring friction in the ????-compresion galling test.
Ken Budinski reported that he will prepare a non-mandatory appendix on the laws of friction for the G115 standard on friction testing and data interpretation. This addition will be balloted before the Spring 2011 meeting.
Non-abrasive Wear Activities:
Chairman, Nick Randall, (CSM) reported that there are no current reapproval ballots on existing test methods.
Greg Dalton (Tribosys) reported that a ballot on a new test method on the twist/compression test received a significant number of negatives and the standard was withdrawn to address the negatives.
Ken Budinski reported on interlaboratory studies underway on ASTM G204 test on damage to solids under fretting condition. Results are in from three labs and more labs will be sought before a second round of tests is conducted.
Mike Anderson (Falex) reported that he will ballot a draft of a new standard on a 3-pads on a disk test. He also has the responsibility for reapproval of the crossed cylinder test wheel which was withdrawn because it was not reviewed and reballoted on schedule.
Terminology Activities:
Scott Hummel conducted the meeting for Chair Peter Blau (ORNL). He reported that the following terms received affirmative results and will go into ASTM G40 Terms:
Average erosion rate
Cavitation
Flow cavitation
Normal incubation time
Normalized erosion resistance
Normalized incubation resistance
Micropitting
Triboerrosion
Scott Hummel and Mike Anderson proposed a new definition for “wear.” They will ballot the new definition prior to the next meeting.
Erosion Activities:
Scott Hummel chaired the erosion subcommittee meeting and he reported that Frank Heymann is closing the task group on revision of the ASTM G32 vibratory horn cavitation test. The revised standard was balloted at the subcommittee level and will go to ballot at the committee level in the near future.
Frank Heymann also submitted a report on reapproval or withdrawal of ASTM G134 test on “erosion of solid materials by a cavitating liquid het.” Frank located some users of this test and they expressed their desire to retain the test and perform the required interlaboratory tests. Professor Hitoshi Soyama (Tohokan University in Japan) will chair a task group to conduct the tests necessary to establish repeatability data.
Jeff Smith (Consultant) reported that he has a task group working to develop a new test method for solid particle erosion testing of solids at elevated temperatures.
Abrasion Activities:
The Fall 2010 subcommittee meeting was chaired by Steve Shaffer (Battelle). He reported that the ASTM G65 dry sand rubber wheel abrasion test was successfully balloted for reapproval.
Ken Budinski (Bud Labs) reported on activity on a revision of ASTM B611 high stress abrasion test. The test was written for cemented carbides, but the revised version will state that the test is applicable to other “hard materials” such as cremanics and cermets. The revision has been sent to the editorial subcommittee and will be balloted after their review. Ken Budinski will try to identify a suitable hard material for interlaboratory tests using the new method.
Under new business, Ken Budinski reported that there is a current problem in obtaining test sand for ASTM G65. Troy LaValley (Falex) will investigate the sand problem as well as perceived concerns about the D2 reference material used in the G65 test.
Scott Hummel (Lafayette College) requested that the subcommittee review the G65 standard to show Falex as the sole supplier of rubber wheels for the test.
Data Acquisition Activities:
Chair, Greg Dalton (Tribsys) reported that ASTM G190 Guide for Selection of Wear Tests is up for review and reballot. He will do the review and also enter a work item on wear condition monitoring.
Miscellany:
PV Design Mapping – Bob Clark and Bob Adam (Tribsys) made a presentation to the G2 Committee at the Fall 2010 Jacksonville meeting on a new way to develop PV limits on plastics. Instead of running many tests at different loads with fixed velocity and many velocities with fired loads, they developed a computer controlled machine which will do these tests with one test couple. The wear and friction are continually monitored so when one PV is done, the machine simply does another on the same specimens. They did all of their work with plastic riders on a hard tool steel counterface which did not wear. The machine can do 100 PV tests in 48 hours.
Next Workshop:
Fretting wear and fretting corrosion was proposed as the next G2 workshop. Greg Dalton will decide on the time and venue
Future G2 meetings:
June 22-23, 2011, Baltimore, MD (with D2)
December 7-8, 2011, New Orleans, LA (with D2)
April 17-18, 2011, Georgia Tech (with Tribocorrosion Symposium)
September 20-21, 2011, CSM Boston
Future Tribology Conferences
The attached listing of future tribology conferences was prepared by Dr. Peter J. Blau, fromOak Ridge National Lab in the USA. Thank you Peter.
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NOTE:Wear News is the informal account of selected tribology events and the activities of the ASTM G2 Committee on Wear and Erosion.
Contributed tribology articles are welcome.
Send them and other inquiries to:
Ken Budinski
Bud Labs
904 Ridge Road West
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Rochester, NY 14615 (USA)
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