Funded with approximately €3.3 million by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under the Biokreativ 4 program, the project enables the establishment of a new interdisciplinary junior research group at Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden. The focus of the research is on superlubricity, the institute reports. In this state, the coefficient of friction drops below 0.01. Fraunhofer IWS has been researching superlubricity for years and is now transferring this expertise to bio-based material and lubricant systems. “Bioslide combines our superlubricity research with the question of sustainable materials,” says Dr. Stefan Makowski, head of the Tribological Systems group.
Coatings enable new material combinations
One focus is on coatings made of tetrahedral amorphous carbon. These ta-C coatings are considered key to achieving superlubricity. Using the laser arc process developed at Fraunhofer IWS, they can also be applied to non-conductive substrates and used without mechanical post-processing. This opens up, for the first time, the use of bio-based plastics, wood-fiber composites, and other renewable materials as load-bearing elements in sliding systems.
The BMFTR funding supports the establishment of an independent research group at Fraunhofer IWS. Over a four-year period, scientists and technical staff are working on how tribological systems can be designed to conserve resources more effectively in the future. To this end, the institute has established the “Tribological Systems” group under Makowski’s leadership. In addition to scientific training, the project funds two doctoral positions. An advisory team of companies and international mentors supports the group.
Test rigs ensure industrial relevance
The new group consolidates infrastructure for tribological investigations. Tribometers measure extremely low friction values with precision and reproducibility. A bearing test rig records friction and wear in plain bearings. Complementary analyses of materials, coatings, and lubricants enable a comprehensive understanding of interfacial processes. This equipment makes it possible to evaluate new concepts under realistic conditions and develop them toward practical application.
“With Bioslide, we are building expertise that connects fundamental research with industrial challenges,” emphasizes Prof. Christoph Leyens, Director of Fraunhofer IWS. “The funding enables us to address these topics in a structured manner over several years.”
In addition to scientific work, the focus is on industrial applicability. The Bioslide research project primarily targets mechanical and plant engineering, as well as applications with high requirements for energy efficiency, reliability, and environmental compatibility.
Plain bearings are among the most common functional elements in mechanical and plant engineering and play a decisive role in determining the energy demand of entire machines. Today, sliding elements are often made of steel, bronze, or engineering plastics and operate with mineral oil-based lubricants. Bioslide pursues an alternative approach: renewable raw materials are intended to replace established materials while also unlocking new tribological performance potential.