Koshi Adachi

Creation of continuous ultra-low friction interface by controlling concerted tribochemical reaction and construction of design concept for long-term reliable mechanical systems

Research Director

Koshi Adachi

Collaborator

Momoji Kubo	Professor Institute for Materials Research Tohoku University
Hidetaka Nanao	Associate Professor Faculty of Science and Engineering Iwate University
Tomoko Hirayama	Professor Graduate School of Engineering Kyoto University

Outline

In this project, by designing and controlling the concerted tribochemical reaction in which a “wear reaction” and a “formation reaction” are concertedly induced at the friction interface of a mechanical system, we aim to build a design concept for a “self-healing ultra-low friction system” in which an ultra-low-friction interface continuously self-forms. In particular, on the basis of understanding of the nano-meso-macroscale scale concerted phenomenon created by the coexistence of “nano devices”, “mezo devices”, and “macro devices” at the friction interface, the concerted tribochemical reaction will be realized.

Junichi Tatami

Reliability Innovation of Ceramics Based on the Theory of Degradation

Research Director

Junichi Tatami

Collaborator

Takuma Takahashi	Researcher Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology
Hiromi Nakano	Professor Cooperative Research Facility Center Toyohashi University of Technology

Outline

Improvement of the mechanical reliability of ceramics used in harsh environments has been required. In this research, we will clarify the correlation between the nanostructure of ceramics, which is affected by the environment, and the mesoscale mechanical properties, which have the same dimension as crystalline grains and grain boundaries, as well as a method to predict macroscopic property changes from the degradation behavior of mesoscale mechanical properties. Furthermore, we will develop a theory of degradation common to ceramics and propose a material design guideline for high reliability.

Yoshinobu Tsujii

Hierarchical understanding and controlling the wear phenomena of ultralow-friction polymer brushes

Research Director

Yoshinobu Tsujii

Collaborator

Hiroyuki Arafune	Associate Professor Department of Creative Engineering National Institute of Technology, Tsuruoka College
Yusuke Ootani	Associate Professor Institute for Materials Research Tohoku University
Kohji Ohno	Professor Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Metropolitan University
Ken Nakano	Professor Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences Yokohama National University

Outline

For thick and concentrated polymer brushes (tCPB), we challenge to establish the scientific principle of their wearing as one of complex but important phenomena and thereby to develop novel functions from the following viewpoints: (i) clarification of characteristic structure and properties especially including lubrication and wearing, (ii) new design of brush structure and solvent/fluid properties as controllable/perturbative parameters, (iii) hierarchical modeling of tCPB and its characteristic wearing based on macro-scale dynamics and nano-scale MD simulation, (iv) application of current fluorescence technique as well as viscoelastic/dynamic response analyses.

Takayoshi Nakano

Creation of science for customization of mechanical functions in artificial materials ～ inspiration from hierarchical and anisotropic structure of bone ～

Research Director

Takayoshi Nakano

Collaborator

Eiji Abe	Professor Graduate School of Engineering The University of Tokyo
Tsuyoshi Mayama	Professor Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology Kumamoto University

Outline

The bone tissue, as a creature of nature, has a unique hierarchically anisotropic structure that provides sophisticated mechanical properties even in a severe and dynamic mechanical environment. In this project, inspired by such nature-created structure, we elucidate the strengthening mechanism at specific hierarchical and anisotropic interfaces ranging from nanometer to macroscopic orders, which we expect with certainty to be formed by metal 3D printing (3DP) technology. Our final goal is to establish a guideline for the creation of innovative materials with artificially customized mechanical functions by arbitrary designing and introducing 3DP-specific interfaces based on the coordination of analysis in physical (in reality) and cyber (in simulated) spaces.