ITC PRESIDENT 2018-21

Ali Erdemir
Distinguished Fellow and Reseach Scientist
Texas A&M, USA

Ali Erdemir from Argonne National Laboratory in the USA was in September 2017 elected new ITC President for the period 2018-2021.

President's Corner

Offering Our Love, Empathy, and Solidarity to Humanity in These Difficult Days

COVID-19 has delivered an unimaginable toll on the public health, safety, and economic well-being of all humanity. The biggest agony is that we are powerless to control this invisible enemy as it continues to invade all corners of the world. Worst of all, there does not yet seem to be an effective solution that can slow down the spread or totally eradicate its deadly effects. In a very short while, this pandemic has brought down our vibrant lifestyle to complete halt, and changed the way we work, travel, shop, eat, or otherwise enjoy social life with family and friends. The biggest quandary nowadays is how we might stop or control its deadly impact on our society or adapt to new realities when, and until, there is a cure.  

The economic toll of COVID-19 on our society has also been enormous. Many people have lost their jobs and desperately seek government help to keep their lives going. Some countries have suffered the biggest downturn in their GDP ever. Out of desperation in all these dire situations, the whole world community is now searching for a vaccine that can stop the spread of COVID-19 or a drug therapy that can cure those who are affected.  

On the brighter side, it is very humbling to see that the whole humanity has come together in solidarity to confront this common enemy. Once again, this pandemic has brought the best out of us with a shared conciseness that we are all indeed the same and all in this together. A humble example that involved me was that a former research colleague from the other side of the globe recently contacted me, just out of the blue and insisted on shipping some face masks. Despite my objection and sincere thanks for his thoughtfulness, he dispatched 240 face masks which I have greatly appreciated. One of our next-door neighbors, waving his hands from a distance, wanted to know if we are all well/healthy and if we needed anything that they could help with. Another asked if his teenage son could go to the grocery store or fast food restaurant to pick up some food for us. I am sure all of us have similar heart-warming experiences to share.  Down in our hearts, we are really full of love and great empathy towards one another and this is beautiful. With this kind of shared values and determination, I have no doubt that we will prevail and win the battle against this deadly virus. Already, many candidate vaccines are being tested on humans around the globe and search for new drugs is also well-underway.

As we move forward in these very difficult days, the International Tribology Council offers its sincere thanks to the first responders, doctors, nurses, and other professionals for their selfless efforts in helping those who are most affected. They are truly the unsung heroes of our time. We also offer our deepest condolences to those families who have lost their love ones to the Coronavirus. There should be no doubt that we will come out of this stronger and more determined than ever to save our planet and its citizens from future perils.

A Tribute to Prof. H. Peter Jost

Prof. H. Peter Jost, the founding father of modern-day tribology and the first President of the International Tribology Council (ITC), passed away on June 7, 2016. This was certainly a very sad day for the entire tribology community. He tirelessly carried the leadership mantle of ITC until his passing and was, without any doubt, responsible for bringing the world tribology community together. Peter was also the driving force behind the highly acclaimed Jost Report, in which the word “tribology” was first coined with a clear-cut definition: “the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and of the practices related thereto”. Beyond its scientific meaning, Peter was an outspoken advocate of tribology’s economic and ecological benefits to humanity. On his many keynote addresses at international forums, he would always argue that tribology by its very definition means ”green”. In his speech to the attendees of the 4th World Tribology Congress in Kyoto, Japan, in 2009, he very elegantly explained that “mainly because, the transfer of force between two surfaces in relative motion involves friction, and friction leads to the dissipation of energy and to wear, the avoidance or diminution of which are indeed the key objectives of tribology”. Realizing its very complex and multidisciplinary nature, Peter was also very much aware of the needs for increased worldwide collaboration among tribologists as this was one of key reasons for the creation of ITC.

Late Prof. H. Peter Jost; the founding father of modern-day tribology and the first President of the International Tribology Council.

Undoubtedly, his far-sighted messages from the past resonate much louder these days as the sustainability of an ecologically diverse and habitable planet for generations to come is increasingly becoming questionable. Until now, we have enjoyed a very generous and diverse planet, where life has existed for millions of years. However, things have started to change in recent decades due to much accelerated uses of non-renewable fossil fuels to meet our ever-increasing energy needs. Unfortunately, these have burdened us with greatly accelerated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, which is now suspected as the key reason for worldwide climate change or disruptions. So, in reality, all of us are to blame for tipping the delicate balance of our ecosystem and jeopardizing the livelihood of all living species on this planet.

As tribologists, how can we help in stopping or even reversing this trend?  As Peter pointed out a long time ago, we must continue to develop and implement more effective tribological technologies and lubrication practices that can reduce GHG emissions and, at the same time, increase the efficiency and durability of future mechanical systems. In fact, the Committee who put together the Jost report for the British Government in 1966 very clearly documented the true economic and ecological benefits of tribology when properly practiced by industry. There is no question that we owe our current lifestyle to many moving mechanical systems used in transportation, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, power generation, and so on. Thanks to advanced tribological principles and very durable materials and effective lubricants that we have all developed over the years, these systems function incredibly well (think of the cars that we drive every day). Despite all these great advances, energy and material losses due to friction and wear in moving mechanical systems still account for huge economic and environmental burdens. In fact, a recent comprehensive study estimated that about 23% of all energy produced in this world is still consumed by friction and wear-related losses. Even a very small improvement in the friction and wear of future machine components can globally save enormous amounts of energy, reduce emissions, and increase system reliability, thus ultimately benefiting society.

Among all the planets in our solar system and beyond, ours is the only one where life has existed in multifarious forms for so long. The big question is: how long can we keep it that way? There is no doubt that our dependence on advanced mechanical devices that propel our modern lifestyle will continue to increase in coming years. However, while embracing such an increasingly more mobile and industrialized world, we must remember to ensure that these machines are far more efficient, durable, and green. In his closing remark at the 4th World Tribology Congress, Peter stated that “The cause of tribology is indeed a worthy cause for all tribologists and their societies to pursue, as it will help tribology to play its rightful part, not only for the benefit of science and technology, but much more importantly, for the benefit of mankind”. Undoubtedly, he was a legend and visionary leader of our time. Thanks to many dedicated scientists, engineers, and specialists of our tribology field, we the tribologists will stay the course and move forward with Peter’s legacy for a green, clean, and sustainable future.