Ali Erdemir
Encyclopedia
Ali Erdemir, born in Kadirli, Adana
, Turkey, is a Turkish
materials scientist
specializing in surface engineering and tribology
.
He graduated from the Metallurgy
Department of the Istanbul Technical University
in 1977. After working for two years at the İskenderun Iron and Steel Company in Turkey as an engineer, he went to the USA for doctoral studies. Erdemir received a master's degree
in materials engineering and a doctorate
in materials science and engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology
in 1982 and 1986, respectively. After completing his military service in Turkey, Erdemir began in 1987 to work as an assistant metallurgist at the Argonne National Laboratory
near Chicago
, which is operated by the University of Chicago
for the U.S. Department of Energy. Since 1990, he is conducting his research as a materials scientist.
Erdemir has broken one of the technological records of the century by conducting friction
tests on a new ultra-hard, low-friction coating. The material is many times slicker than Teflon and hard enough to show promise for use in automobile engine parts. It is reported that the invention of Erdemir, who has been on the covers of many scientific magazines published in the USA, has broken the friction coefficient record by 20-fold. He developed a carbon
coating that showed the lowest coefficient of friction, less than 0.001, when tested in a dry nitrogen
atmosphere. This makes the carbon coating 40 times slicker than Teflon, which has a coefficient of about 0.04.
Erdemir made Argonne Laboratory the number one research center for tribology and has received many international prizes, including three R&D 100 Awards, considered the Oscar of technology, in 1991, 1998 and 2003 for a boric acid
lubricant
and a near frictionless carbon coating, respectively. He has patent
rights for six of his inventions.
Erdemir is member of several professional societies and published more than 100 scientific papers in the fields of friction, wear, lubrication of materials and coatings. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Anatolia, Eskişehir
, Turkey in 1998.
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
, Turkey, is a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
materials scientist
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
specializing in surface engineering and tribology
Tribology
Tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the study and application of the principles of friction, lubrication and wear...
.
He graduated from the Metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
Department of the Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University is an international technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey...
in 1977. After working for two years at the İskenderun Iron and Steel Company in Turkey as an engineer, he went to the USA for doctoral studies. Erdemir received a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in materials engineering and a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in materials science and engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in 1982 and 1986, respectively. After completing his military service in Turkey, Erdemir began in 1987 to work as an assistant metallurgist at the Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest...
near Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, which is operated by the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
for the U.S. Department of Energy. Since 1990, he is conducting his research as a materials scientist.
Erdemir has broken one of the technological records of the century by conducting friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
tests on a new ultra-hard, low-friction coating. The material is many times slicker than Teflon and hard enough to show promise for use in automobile engine parts. It is reported that the invention of Erdemir, who has been on the covers of many scientific magazines published in the USA, has broken the friction coefficient record by 20-fold. He developed a carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
coating that showed the lowest coefficient of friction, less than 0.001, when tested in a dry nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
atmosphere. This makes the carbon coating 40 times slicker than Teflon, which has a coefficient of about 0.04.
Erdemir made Argonne Laboratory the number one research center for tribology and has received many international prizes, including three R&D 100 Awards, considered the Oscar of technology, in 1991, 1998 and 2003 for a boric acid
Boric acid
Boric acid, also called hydrogen borate or boracic acid or orthoboric acid or acidum boricum, is a weak acid of boron often used as an antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, as a neutron absorber, and as a precursor of other chemical compounds. It exists in the form of colorless crystals or a...
lubricant
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
and a near frictionless carbon coating, respectively. He has patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
rights for six of his inventions.
Erdemir is member of several professional societies and published more than 100 scientific papers in the fields of friction, wear, lubrication of materials and coatings. He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Anatolia, Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
, Turkey in 1998.