Research projects are (co)financed by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency

• Member of the University of Ljubljana: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Project code: L2-4474
• Science: Engineering sciences and technologies
• SICRIS: Nanoscale contact design of high-performance, energy-efficient, lightweight components for green mobility – CODE-GM

Massive 25% of the world’s energy production is used to overcome friction, making it a major cause of pollution. What’s more, friction leads to wear, which means worn out components that need replacing, more energy being used to make these replacements and so more pollution and more precious resources being consumed. This makes tribology central to economic prosperity, sustainability, and our efforts to combat climate change. Mobility is the sector in the best position to reduce CO2 emissions quickly. Electric vehicles (EVs), provided they are powered by renewable energy, will go a long way to making at least one form of mobility sustainable. But problems with charging infrastructure and battery range are putting the brakes on this transition. Both issues could be alleviated if the EVs were not having to do as much work to overcome friction. If an EV needed less energy to drive along roads, the need to recharge batteries so often and have such a dense charging infrastructure could be reduced.

Plastic materials are the most obvious choice for particular lightweight components and insulating materials that avoid danger from electric currents. Plastics can be divided into thermoplastics and thermosets. While thermoplastics are familiar, thermosets are restricted to niche applications. However, with the changes required in EV-mobility contacts. While thermoplastics are familiar, thermosets are restricted to niche applications. However, with the changes required in EV-mobility contacts thermosets are an excellent and obvious choice. Thus, this project faces the novelties and complexities of this proposal, which is interdisciplinary by nature, with mechanical and nano-engineering, chemistry, materials and physics, all part of the tribological spectrum. This ensures progress that goes beyond the state-of-the-art in thermoset engineering, not only in electric vehicles but also in other fields.