Functional fluids to reduce friction: from automotive to the "renewables" sector

无论全球在二氧化碳排放问题上的立场是否已经达到了一个“临界点”，还是我们正在开启新的气候里程碑，绝大多数证据都表明，要控制气候变化，必须接受科学技术的进步。没有比减少全球交通运输排放更紧迫的技术挑战了。该项目将通过理解新型有机摩擦改进剂（OFMs）的作用直接解决这一问题，同时也将帮助从依赖化石燃料燃烧的技术（IC发动机）向风能和潮汐能的发展过渡。为了在理解（和优化）ofm方面做出必要的改变，需要先进的技术来探测超薄膜的物理和化学性质。这里要研究的一类材料是聚（2-恶唑啉）s (POx)，由于其生物相容性和易于调整的参数，如溶解度、结晶度、热转变等，它在材料科学、生物化学和生物医学中得到了广泛的应用。这里感兴趣的痘已经被分子设计成油溶性的，同时保留了强大的减少摩擦的特性。该项目的目标是-将新技术（原位原子力显微镜）引入OFM的研究-优化OFM在完全配方油中的使用，以促进IC发动机燃料消耗减少1% -通过研究齿轮等高应力部件的微点蚀，将OFM分子的摩擦和磨损控制功能转化为风力涡轮机领域。建立摩擦化学模型的摩擦和磨损在复杂的接触

Whether the global position on CO2 emissions has reached a "tipping point" or we are embarking on new climate milestones, the overwhelming body of evidence concludes that advances in science and technology need to be embraced to bring about control of climate change. There can be no more pressing technological challenge than to reduce the global emissions from transportation. This studentship will directly address this through the understanding of the action of new Organic Friction Modifiers (OFMs), whilst also assisting in the transition from technologies relying on burning of fossil fuels (IC Engines) to the development of wind and tidal energy. To make the step change needed in the understanding (and optimisation) of OFMs, advanced techniques are required to probe the physical and chemical properties of ultra-thin films. The class of materials to be studied here is the Poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) which have been used extensively in materials science, biochemistry, and biomedicine due to their biocompatibility and the ease of tuning parameters such as solubility, crystallinity, thermal transitions, etc. The POx of interest here have been molecularly designed to be oil soluble, while retaining strong friction-reducing properties. The objectives of the project are - To bring new techniques (in-situ atomic force microscopy) to the study of OFMs- To optimise OFM use in fully formulated oils to facilitate a reduction of 1% in the fuel consumption in the IC engine- To translate the friction and wear controlling functions of the OF molecules to the wind turbine sector through the study of micropitting in high stressed components like gears.To build tribochemistry into the modelling of friction and wear in complex contacts