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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/J35962/01
Title: NANOTRIBOLOGY
Principal Investigator: Bowen, Professor D
Other Investigators:
Chetwynd, Professor DG
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Sch of Engineering
Organisation: University of Warwick
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 September 1993 Ends: 31 August 1995 Value (£): 62,471
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project will investigate some major questions in nanotribology concerning the frictional behaviour of very small areas of contact at very low loads. To do this a special form of lateral force atomic force microscope will be designed and constructed. This will allow probes presenting contact areas down to 10nm radius to be traversed across counterfaces while simultaneously monitoring the surface texture of the face and frictional forces down to an ultimate limit of about 1nN. This instrument will be used to study the friction miniature actuators and micromechanical devices find increasing application. Probe materials will include diamond, silicon and molybdenum. Counterfaces will include those of oxide ceramics, silicon and glasses. The effect of surface treatments with thin films of polymers and with C60 fullerene complexes will be investigated. It is likely that frictional characteristics in the nanotribology regime will be discovered that differ greatly from those of bulk materials.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.warwick.ac.uk