Materials

'Superlubricious' coating radically drops friction between metal parts

Reducing friction inside machine parts like this automotive transmission could dramatically extend their lifespans
Reducing friction inside machine parts like this automotive transmission could dramatically extend their lifespans

Using biowaste from cassava plants, scientists have created a coating that virtually eliminates friction in metal parts. The breakthrough has the potential to deliver better fuel economy, extend the lifespan of moving parts, and deliver enormous savings in myriad industries.

For all they can do for us, moving parts inside machinery come with an inherent problem: friction.

According to a research paper just released by scientists from various institutions in Africa and the United States, friction is responsible for consuming about one-fifth of all energy generated globally each year. Furthermore, the authors write, damage caused by friction in machinery eats up between one to four percent of industrialized economies' GDP. In the automotive industry, the researchers say that about 30% of fuel put into passenger vehicles is used to overcome friction.

Reducing friction, therefore, could have a major impact on the cost of working with machines, and potentially save fuel used in the operation of cars. The research team – led by the president of New York's SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Winston "Wole" Soboyejo, and postdoctoral researcher Tabiri Kwayie Asumadu – decided to take up the friction challenge by focussing on a concept known as "superlubricty." Superlubricity is a condition of near-zero friction between two moving, dry materials in contact with each other.

Until now, superlubricious behavior has only been seen between super-small particles at the nanoscale. The new study though, shows that the phenomenon is possible at the macroscale.

To get it to work, the researchers deposited carbon derived from cassava plants onto metal surfaces using a low-cost high-temperature biowaste treatment process. Once the carbon bonded to the metal, it had the footprint of graphene, a material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms. This material filled in the grooves caused by wear, creating graphene-only contact points that protected the metal beneath.

In tests, the carbon bonded to steel and nickel substrates led to a virtually frictionless state that remained robust in normal conditions for about 150,000 cycles.

"This research truly could touch most industries," said Asumadu. "From biomedical to energy sectors to nearly every kind of manufacturing, this approach could help to extend the life of machine parts, reduce maintenance and replacement costs, and create a more sustainable industrial future."

The paper describing the findings has been published in the journal, Applied Materials Today.

Source: SUNY Polytechnic Institute

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18 comments
65tux
Don't get me wrong, sounds interesting in certain applications, but 150,000 cycles is not a lot - particularly when the opening pick is of the inside of something spinning. At a lowly 300 RPM, 150,000 cycles is only 500 minutes.
MikeofLA
"In the automotive industry, the researchers say that about 30% of fuel put into passenger vehicles is used to overcome friction." I'm going to assume they are not referring to things that require friction, like tires and the like.

That said, while it's a great start, what do they mean by 150,000 cycles? Is this RPM? If so, that means for something like a turbo that spins at anywhere from 80k to 250k times per minute, this material would last about as long as a turbo would if you just ran it dry out of the box. Even if we're talking about engine RPM, we looking at less than an hour of operation.

Lastly, as a side note... I would really like to see an improvement on your commenting platform. I love your site (i've been here since the GizMag days), but what you have now isn't great and I find myself avoiding posting a comment due to the lack of features. It's not intuitive, doesn't allow for replies to a thread, and seriously reduces reader involvement and interaction.
Thanks!
guzmanchinky
This is incredible. But how much is 150,000 cycles in a typical engine? Not much, but maybe they are working hard to improve that number...
MikeofLA
"In the automotive industry, the researchers say that about 30% of fuel put into passenger vehicles is used to overcome friction." I'm going to assume they are not referring to things that require friction, like tires and the like.

That said, while it's a great start, what do they mean by 150,000 cycles? Is this RPM? If so, that means for something like a turbo that spins at anywhere from 80k to 250k times per minute, this material would last about as long as a turbo would if you just ran it dry out of the box. Even if we're talking about engine RPM, we looking at less than an hour of operation.

Lastly, as a side note... I would really like to see an improvement on your commenting platform. I love your site (i've been here since the GizMag days), but what you have now isn't great and I find myself avoiding posting a comment due to the lack of features. It's not intuitive, doesn't allow for replies to a thread, and seriously reduces reader involvement and interaction.
Thanks!
Chase
Was going to post something about the reality of 150,000 cycles, but that's been covered already. I do want to second the motion about the commenting system, though. It would be really nice to have reply and notification functionality. It's my only major issue with the site.
Neutrino23
I agree with the objections in the comments here, but I’d point out that this is a first step. If they can use this to understand the process better perhaps they can find a longer lasting treatment or maybe something that can be easily restored as with an oil change.
Paul Anderson
Would it work on my bike chain? Weather resistant?
Jose Gros-Aymerich
Anything reducing friction losses and wear ist Good News.
But long ago, MoS2 additives were used for same purposes, with success.
Is this monolayer graphene better or cheaper than Molybdene additives?
Gesund +
Captain Danger
150 K cycles is very ambiguous.
for a slidign part tell me how many miles of travel under full load it can run
if this is a coating on a shaft how may revolutions.
Unfortunately I suspect that is is a long way from a process that I can send parts out hand have coated.
Also I %100 agree with MikeofLA, I have been on this site for years and think the comments section needs a major upgrade.
pmshah
Photograph of a gearbox is misleading. Theoretically gears mesh and move on the principle of "lever". There is supposed to be zero sliding movement between meshing gears.

Now when you talk about friction you are talking about areas where there is actual sliding movement like main and connecting rod bearings. I have not seen any American car engine requiring replacement of these bearings or the crankshafts even after 100k to 150k miles. How many jillion cycles would that have completed?