Research

• Precompetitive research topics are designed to generate new fundamental knowledge and are created by the Center members.
• CSELR addresses the technological problems of friction, wear, and corrosion. Our core disciplines include tribology & materials science, surface engineering, and lubrication technologies.

• CSELR conducts fundamental and applied investigations into the root causes of life-limiting wear and corrosion of components in macro-, micro-, and nano-mechanical systems, and develops methodologies to mitigate or eliminate wear through surface engineering and/or lubrication strategies.
• CSELR faculty and students perform research in laboratories at the University of Akron, including the Timken Engineered Surfaces and Lubrication (TESL) laboratories in the Wolf Ledges Engineering Building, which are collocated with laboratories of other synergistic Centers at UA including the National Corrosion Center, the Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Research, the NSF Tire Center, the Goodyear Polymer Center, and the Center for Advanced Vehicles and Energy Systems.
• Tribological Facilities: Numerous instruments exist within the TESL labs to evaluate friction, wear, and corrosion of materials in a variety of environments and contact type. This suite of instruments enables in-depth studies of the root causes of friction, wear, fatigue, and corrosion that can occur in a wide variety of mechanical and biomechanical components, and the subsequent evaluation of the effectiveness of surface engineering and lubrication technologies to mitigate or eliminate these root causes.
• Analytical and Computational Facilities: Faculty, students, and members of CSELR have access to a wide array of instruments capable of examining the compositional, mechanical, structural, electronic, topographical, and optical properties of materials. The Goodyear Polymer Center contains supercomputer computer simulation and modeling capabilities, molecular and morphological characterization labs, surface analysis facilities, a microscopy suite, a clean room, and thermal analysis and mechanical properties testing equipment.
• Surface Engineering Facilities: TESL is the only laboratory in a US university that houses commercial scale topographical modification and tribological coating equipment. Our industrial partners can rapidly implement technologies developed in these assets, which include an automated ultrasonic parts cleaning system, a magnetron sputtering deposition system, a chemical vapor deposition system, and an ion-beam assisted e-beam deposition system that is located in a class 10,000 cleanroom.
• Lubrication Facilities: CSELR labs have equipment to perform ASTM standardized testing on lubricants, base oils, and additives. The Center also has the capability and expertise to perform non-standard testing including identifying trace materials and conditioning materials at specific temperatures, pressures, and tribological conditions prior to testing. A focus area of CSELR is the high-pressure rheological properties of lubricants. CSELR has the ability to measure viscosity of a sample by the falling needle method up to 1 GPa.