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discovered_02_2013

discovered 02.13 FOCUS WWW.Hzdr.DE // A car engine's moveable parts are exposed to considerable friction which leads to undesirable wear as well as energy losses. HZDR researchers develop functional coatings to reduce friction. _TEXT . Uta Bilow NEW COATING CONCEPTS TO OFFSET FRICTION GASEOUS DISCHARGE: Whereas a fluorescent lamp’s gas or glow discharge is what makes it light up, its job inside this coating chamber is to ionize argon atoms that emit a purple glow. Photo: Jürgen Jeibmann Today's cars are using considerably less fuel than they did only a decade or two ago. That's good news for drivers because it helps keeping expenses in check. Potential savings are, however, far from optimal. What many people are not aware of is that a substantial portion of fuel is not used to power the car but is in fact lost - which clearly is suboptimal. Whenever moveable parts such as the crank or piston are working, not only are forces being transmitted but friction, too, is produced. This friction is unwanted, because it means lost energy. It impedes motion, generates heat, and causes wear. Fuel consumption goes up as does carbon dioxide emission. "Friction lowers energy efficiency," says Sibylle Gemming of the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research. "Whatever is lost due to friction is essentially wasted." At the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, the chemist works on developing new kinds of materials that are more energy efficient and thus help saving fuel and lubricants. Gemming's research in this area is one of a number of projects that together form the leading-edge technology cluster ECEMP (European Centre for Emerging Materials and Processes Dresden). Six years ago, scientists at the TU Dresden, the HTW Dresden, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, and various research institutes – including the HZDR – teamed up with Werner Hufenbach at the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology as head of the group, to explore new types of materials and come up with new options for their application. "We're looking to develop multicomponent materials for use in energy and environmental technology, and lightweight construction," Gemming explains, outlining the cluster's scientific scope. The red thread is energy efficiency. For the last five years, the leading-edge technology cluster has been funded through the European Union and the

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