Northwestern University

The Boeing Company

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Dow Corning Corporation

Qian Jane Wang

Yip-Wah Chung

Tobin Jay Marks

Jian Cao

Zhiyong Cedric Xia

Rajesh Talwar

Pinzhi Liu

Donald J Grzina

Tiffany Davis Ling

Andreas Stammer

Tracy L Lohr

Yanshan Gao

Thomas J Zolper

Herbert Stoegbauer

Manfred Jungk

David B Pickens, Iii

Xingliang He

Arman Mohammad Khan

Blake A Johnson

Jiaxing Huang

Massimiliano Delferro

Kornel F Ehmann

Yiyan Peng

Michael Desanker

Tobias Vela Martin

Yi Shi

Xuan Dou

Zhong Liu

Shuangbiao Liu

Qiang Ma

Methods for forming carbon-based lubricious and/or wear-protective films in situ on the surface of steel alloys are provided. The methods use chromium-containing steel alloys, molybdenum-containing steel alloys, and steel alloys that contain both copper and nickel. When such alloys are subjected to a rubbing motion in the presence of a hydrocarbon fluid, the chromium, molybdenum, copper, and nickel in the steel alloy catalyzes the formation of solid carbon-containing films that reduce the friction, wear, or both of the contacting surfaces.

High-strength steels for the formation of wear-protective lubricious tribofilms directly from hydrocarbon fluids

Low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins are provided. Also provided are catalyst-mediated methods of making the low molecular weight, highly branched polyolefins and a catalyst system for carrying out the methods. The catalyst system is a homogeneous catalytic system that includes a single-site organozirconium complex and hydrocarbon-soluble perfluoroarylborate co-catalyst that is highly active for the oligomerization of olefin monomers in non-polar media.

Highly branched, low molecular weight polyolefins and methods for their production

A lubricant composition includes a base lubricant and a plurality of lubricant additive molecules functioning as precursor molecules to induce tribopolymerization and forming in situ protective tribofilm with desirable robustness and low shear resistance. Each lubricant additive molecule includes one or more surface-active groups attractable to target surface, and a carbon containing component operable connected to the one or more surface active groups. The carbon containing component comprise a carbon ring structure having a high ring strain that is metastable and activatable with a ring-opening reaction. A less stable carbon ring structure is more readily activated to the intermediate state, preferable to form more active fragments. Increasing the adsorption strength further is beneficial to prolonging the residence time of additive molecules on the target surface, thereby facilitating the dissociation of molecules and subsequent polymerization.

Lubricant compositions, and synthesizing methods and applications of same

In an embodiment, a method of hardening a surface of a substrate comprises directing a waterjet having a transition flow region, the waterjet comprising water and particles, at a surface of a substrate such that the waterjet impacts the surface within the transition flow region to provide a layer of embedded particles underneath the surface of the substrate, thereby forming a hardened substrate. The hardened substrates are also provided.

Surface hardening of substrates by a particle-containing cavitating waterjet

A lubricant composition includes a base lubricant and a plurality of lubricant additive molecules. Each molecule includes a surface active group attractable to a target surface, wherein the surface active group comprises a carboxyl group, a siloxyl group, an amine group, or a mixture thereof, and a carbon containing component connected to the surface active group, wherein the carbon containing component comprises a carbon ring, wherein the surface active group and the carbon containing component are adapted such that the carbon film is formed in situ on the target surface of the target machine only when tribological energy activates the lubricant additive to unravel the carbon containing component under a pressure and a temperature during operation.

Lubricant additives, lubricant compositions, and applications of same

Interdigitated dielectrostrictive sensors are employed to measure shear stress, and for obtaining strain-dielectric and stress-dielectric coefficients to monitor a process, and examine quality of dielectric materials, including but not limited to polymer, composite, grease, food, biofluids and etc. Each dielectrostrictive sensor includes at least two interdigitated sensors, each having at least two electrodes and a central axis. The central axes are disposed in a common plane and are oriented at different directions.

Dielectrostrictive sensors for shear stress measurement, process monitoring, and quality examination of viscoelastic materials

A lubricant composition includes a base lubricant and a plurality of lubricant additive molecules. Each lubricant additive molecule includes a surface active group attractable to a target surface, and a carbon containing component connected to the surface active group, for providing a carbon source to form a carbon film on the target surface. A method for in situ forming of a carbon film using the lubricant composition, includes adding the lubricant composition into a target machine such that the lubricant composition is in contact with a target surface of the target machine, and operating the target machine to cause a temperature and a pressure at the target surface so that the carbon containing component is unraveled thereon to form a carbon film on the target surface during the operation.

A method for forming a lubrication material using self-dispersed crumpled graphene balls as additives in a lubricant base fluid for friction and wear reduction. The lubricant base fluid may be, for example, a polyalphaolefin type-4 (PAO4) oil. After the crumpled graphene balls are added as additives in the lubricant base fluid, the lubricant base fluid with the additives are sonicated for a sonicating time period, so that the crumpled graphene balls are self-dispersed in the lubricant base fluid to improve friction and wear properties of the lubricant base fluid. In some cases, a dispersing agent, such as Triethoxysilane, may be added in the lubricant base fluid to enhance stability of dispersion of the crumpled graphene balls in the lubricant base fluid. The crumpled graphene balls may stay stably dispersed in the lubricant base fluid between a lower temperature (such as &#x2212;15&#xb0; C.) to a higher temperature (such as 90&#xb0; C.).

Lubrication material using self-dispersed crumpled graphene balls as additives in oil for friction and wear reduction

Compositions comprising one or more cyclen compounds which can be structurally modified to affect anti-friction and anti-wear functionality.

Cyclen friction modifiers for boundary lubrication

A method of using lubricant compositions to reduce wear between two surfaces exposed to a load condition of at least 1 GPa is provided. The lubricant compositions comprise polysiloxane base oils having alkylaryl or a combination of alkyl and aryl functionality. The polysiloxane base oils may be defined according to the formula: wherein R, R', and R&#x2033; are independently selected, such that R is an alkyl group having between 1-3 carbon atoms; R&#x2032; is an alkylaryl group comprising alkyl functionality with 3-12 carbon atoms and aryl functionality with 6 to 12 carbon atoms; R&#x2033; is an alkyl group having between 1-3 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group comprising alkyl functionality with 3-12 carbon atoms and aryl functionality with 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and m and n are integers, such that 8&#x3c;(m+n)&#x3c;500.

Method of reducing friction and wear between surfaces under a high load condition

A forming tool stamps sheet metal blanks into a desired shape. A contoured surface is defined for the forming tool so that respective portions of the metal blank flow over the contoured surface during forming. An intrinsic material flow pattern resulting from the contoured surface is compared to a desired flow in order to identify regions of the contoured surface having an insufficient flow that creates areas in the formed metal blank receiving less than a desired amount of metal. A surface microtexture is applied onto the contoured surface in a pattern selected to increase metal flow along the identified regions by providing a coefficient of friction in the identified regions that is reduced relative to adjacent regions of the contoured surface.

Forming tools having textured surfaces

A method of using energy-efficient lubricant compositions to reduce wear between two surfaces exposed to a high shear condition is provided. The lubricant compositions comprise polysiloxane base oils having alkyl, aryl, or a combination of alkyl and aryl functionality. The polysiloxane base oils may be defined according to the formula: wherein R, and R' are independently selected, such that R is an alkyl group having between 1-3 carbon atoms; R&#x2032; is an alkyl or aryl group having between 6 to 20 carbon atoms; and m and n are integers, such that 25&#x3c;(m+n)&#x3c;500 and the ratio of m/(m+n) is greater than 0.05 and less than 1.00.

Energy efficient, temporary shear thinning siloxane lubricants and method of using

A manufacturing method forms components having a desired shape. A contoured surface is defined for a forming tool for forming a metal blank into the desired shape, wherein respective portions of the metal blank flow over the contoured surface during forming. An intrinsic material flow pattern resulting from the contoured surface is compared to a desired flow in order to identify regions of the contoured surface having an insufficient flow that creates areas in the formed metal blank receiving less than a desired amount of metal. A surface microtexture is applied onto the contoured surface in a pattern selected to increase metal flow along the identified regions by providing a friction in the identified regions that is reduced relative to adjacent regions of the contoured surface.

A cutting tool comprising first and second surfaces that intersect at an edge, wherein the first surface (e.g., a rake face, a flank surface or a margin) has a textured region comprising a multiplicity of recesses each having a length greater than its width. The recesses are distributed in a pattern comprising rows of recesses arranged lengthwise along respective lines with spaces between neighboring recesses. The recesses of one row are offset from the recesses of the next row. Each recess of the one row having one end portion that overlaps with an end portion of one recess in the next row and another end portion that overlaps with an end portion of another recess in the next row. The recesses are generally parallel to the edge.

Growing community of inventors

Mount Prospect, IL, United States of America

Qian Jane Wang