Project description
Low-friction carbon coatings at room temperature
Friction and wear in moving mechanical systems generate significant energy losses, economic costs and environmental impacts across nearly every industrial sector. With this in mind, the ERC-funded TRIBOSYNC project is developing a room-temperature coating technology that reduces friction and wear. It harnesses tribochemical reactions at loaded, sliding interfaces to convert carbon-containing precursors into diamond-like or graphene-like protective films. The project’s goal is to create a more versatile and energy-efficient way of producing advanced carbon-based coatings. This innovation is expected to extend the lifetime of mechanical components and reduce energy losses caused by friction in applications ranging from automotive to aerospace.
Objective
Friction and wear affect all applications involving moving contacts and result in massive economic, energy, and environmental costs. Carbon-based coatings, such as diamond like coatings (DLC), represent an effective solution to mitigate these issues. However, their deposition currently relies on high-temperature processes, which limit their widespread adoption.
TRIBOSYINC will harness tribochemical reactions, i.e. reactions involving molecules confined at the interface of two bodies under load and shear stresses, to transform carbon-containing precursors into DLC or graphene-like films. This process, referred to as tribosynthesis, will be developed into a versatile, room-temperature coating technology, enabling broad applicability and energy-efficient processing.
TRIBOSYNC has the potential to significantly reduce friction-related energy losses and extend component lifetime, advancing tribological technologies across various industrial sectors, from automotive to aerospace, with positive environmental impact.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
40126 Bologna
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.