ENTICE · Engineering Tribochemistry and Interfaces with a Focus on the Internal Combustion Engine

Engineering Tribochemistry and Interfaces with a Focus on the Internal Combustion Engine

ENTICE is a project funded by through the European Commission FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network (MC ITN). ENTICE is an abbreviation for Engineering Tribochemistry and Interfaces with a Focus on the Internal Combustion Engine. As the title suggests, this project is all about adding knowledge on tribological processes within internal combustion engines. http://www.enticeitn.eu/page/entice The ENTICE network brings together key active research groups in Europe with complementary expertise. Leading industrial companies will participate in training and facilitating transfer of knowledge to and from the industrial sector through research programmes. Stringent environmental legislation is pushing industry to implement the use of less harmful chemicals in the automotive industry, thus further stimulating research in engine tribology/tribochemistry which involves; green lubricant formulations, materials/metallurgy and surface coatings, friction and wear optimisation. Green Lubricant formulation for internal combustion engines is therefore a significant prerequisite for the next generation of efficient engines. Equally important is the selection of proper materials and surface coatings for engine downsizing which will interact effectively with the formulated lubricant to optimise the tribological characteristics of the system. The four key categories of the research areas in ENTICE are • Physical phenomena of tribochemistry of boundary lubricated contacts. • Lubricant chemistry, additive degradation and the tribochemistry processes. • Tribochemistry processes in non-ferrous materials. • Tribochemistry in engine systems; development of techniques to study tribochemistry processes observed in automotive engines. Progress has been in the following key areas: 1. Models have been developed that explain the function of lubricant additives from the bulk to the macroscale tribological performance, taking into account additive degradation, material physical/chemical/mechanical properties, additive/surface and additive/additive interactions. In particular a semi-deterministic approach to boundary lubrication has enabled important advances in understanding reactivity at tribological surfaces to be made. Molecular models have been developed to assess MoS2 formation mechanisms 2. Advancing the understanding of the importance of lubricant degradation and ageing of oils in the tribochemistry performance; a new model for the degradation of the common Mo-based friction modifier is proposed 3. Progress has been made towards the use of in-situ Raman spectroscopy for understanding tribology/tribochemistry. This has enabled the pathway towards MoS2 formation to be understood. 4. A newly designed single cam rig has been developed to enable high resolution torque measurements to be coupled with tribochemistry These advances are part of key developments in understanding processes which affect friction and wear within internal combustion engines and hence longevity of engine components, fuel efficiency and amount of pollutants emitted to the environment. The contribution to study of the fundamental tribological processes reaches beyond the internal combustion field to areas such as energy generation and healthcare technologies where such processes are also important.

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