Research Overview


Lubrication is a technological barrier for a growing number of important applications that need performance where traditional lubrication techniques are precluded. The UD Materials Tribology Laboratory conducts research studying the nature of friction and wear, and developing novel materials and lubrication strategies for use in extreme applications.

Developing Multifunctional Tribomaterials


New high performance materials are needed before many new technologies will become tractable. Our lab has demonstrated that tough polymer nanocomposites designed to produce low shear strength transfer films can be thousands of times more wear resistant than the unreinforced polymer. These materials have been used to produce multifunctional bulk components using structural and compositional material gradings and integral open celled metallic foams for mechanical and thermal transport.