Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) on Development of Nanoparticle Visualization Techniques for Tribological Applications

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9977314YodaUnder an SGER award experimental techniques will be developed for visualizing the mechanical and chemical interactions of nano-scale particles with solid surfaces in the soft elastohydrodynamic tribological regime. The approach uses particles dyed with fluorescent indicators to directly visualize particle mechanics and chemistry. A variant of this technique, "particle proximity sensing," will visualize only particles which are within 0.1-1 mm of the surface-i.e., the particles which actually interact with the surface. These techniques will be used to study three-body interactions once appropriate methods for "marking" sub-micron indicator particles have been developed. The visualizations will be used to investigate how particles suspended in a fluid at the interface between a smooth, rigid surface and a rough, elastomeric surface are transported into the interface and interact with both surfaces. The study will help resolve issues such as how surface adhesion forces and Brownian motion affect three-body interaction, what the time scales of third body interaction are, and what fraction of the abrasive particles actually interact with both surfaces.The techniques and experiments developed during this research will contribute to a fundamental understanding of three-body interactions. This understanding will impact a wide range of applications ranging from solid contaminants in fluid films to particle additives used in lubricants and surface treatments. Physically based models of the dynamics of the particles which wear solid surfaces will be of particular importance for understanding degradation of seals and bearings and for optimizing processes such as polishing.***