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posted by CoolHand on Thursday July 23 2015, @04:07AM   Printer-friendly
from the graphene-schmaphene dept.

Argonne scientists used Mira to identify and improve a new mechanism for eliminating friction, which fed into the development of a hybrid material that exhibited superlubricity at the macroscale for the first time. Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) researchers helped enable the groundbreaking simulations by overcoming a performance bottleneck that doubled the speed of the team's code.
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They were amazed by what the computer simulations revealed. When the lubricant materials--graphene and diamond-like carbon (DLC)--slid against each other, the graphene began rolling up to form hollow cylindrical "scrolls" that helped to practically eliminate friction. These so-called nanoscrolls represented a completely new mechanism for superlubricity, a state in which friction essentially disappears.
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Superlubricity is a highly desirable property. Considering that nearly one-third of every fuel tank is spent overcoming friction in automobiles, a material that can achieve superlubricity would greatly benefit industry and consumers alike. Such materials could also help increase the lifetime of countless mechanical components that wear down due to incessant friction.


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  • (Score: 1) by linkdude64 on Thursday July 23 2015, @02:51PM

    by linkdude64 (5482) on Thursday July 23 2015, @02:51PM (#212691)

    "Nearly one-third of every fuel tank is spent overcoming friction in automobiles"

    I'm sure that most of that friction is coming from the *road*, that thing that you REALLY want friction against.

  • (Score: 4, Informative) by Wierd0n3 on Thursday July 23 2015, @04:38PM

    by Wierd0n3 (1033) on Thursday July 23 2015, @04:38PM (#212756)

    the friction of:
      the pistons rubbing the walls.
      the timing chain wrapping around the gears
      the cv joints adjusting to angle
      the driveshaft spinning in its collar
      the rear diff. changing the direction of the driveshaft and adjusting the ratio.
      etc...

    these (and others) are the points of friction they mean.

    • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Friday July 24 2015, @03:55AM

      by mhajicek (51) on Friday July 24 2015, @03:55AM (#213001)

      Rolling friction of the tires is a proportionately large component.

      --
      The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek