2023 Summer School: Tribology and Surfaces Interactions

Mastering tribological phenomena (friction, lubrication and wear) is nowadays gaining special relevance due to concern for sustainable development. Indeed, improved consideration of tribological principles enables longer durability and reliability of devices, more savings of energy and resources and therefore more efficient use of materials, equipment or infrastructures.

This course is intended to give participants (graduates, researchers and industrial professionals) a solid background in tribology and surface interactions. It covers the fundamentals concepts of tribology including surfaces, contact mechanics, friction, lubrication and wear, the description of different techniques for multiscale wear analysis (experimental and computational) and application examples illustrating how to use the theoretical background in engineering practice. At the end of the course, participants will have the tools to identify and to approach tribological systems combined with appropriate material selection and surface design.

Topics covered: tribology system and main concepts; surfaces and friction; from contact mechanics to wear; wear of systems; lubrication; experimental techniques for tribology; tribology of materials; surface treatments for tribology; rock tribology and introduction to rock tectonics. Case Study 1: Bearings; Case Study 2: Biotribology

Practical work on a local glacier will also form an integral part of the course. Students will have to interpret geological features in terms of tribological events, summarizing their on-site (Aletsch, Saas Fee, Zermatt) observations and presenting the outcome.