International Nanotribology Forum:
Kerala 2014

in memoriam Sanjay K. Biswas

6th - 10th January, 2014

Bolgatty Palace and Island Resort, Kochi, Kerala, India

Nets in Fort Cochin

Photos

Ernst Meyer
Sandip Panda
John Ralston
Radhika Ramadoss
Prabakaran Saravanan
Manjesh Singh
Nic Spencer
group


Following the highly successful Nanotribology meetings in 2000 and 2003 in Bali, 2001, 2004, and 2008
in Sikkim, and 2007 and 2011 in Hoi An, Vietnam, the International Nanotribology Forum (INF) organized another meeting in this series in Kochi, Kerala, India from 6-10 January, 2014.

Topics of the workshop included:

the interface of rheology and tribology
biotribology and bioinspired tribology
nanoscale roughness in friction and wear
subsurface effects in tribology
soft interfaces
ionic liquids
new techniques in nanotribology

The workshop consisted of invited and submitted lectures and poster presentations, with extensive opportunities for discussion. As before, a number of scholarships were available for students and young scientists, especially those from developing countries.

The meeting took place in the Bolgatty Palace and Island Resort , located close to the historic city of Fort Cochin, in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala. The meeting location is conveniently reached from Cochin International Airport airport (COK)—a 45 minute drive away—which is served by many national and international flights and will be linked to the resort via a shuttle bus service. January is an excellent month for visiting Kerala. Temperatures range from 22-32°C (72-90°F), with an average of 9 hours of sunshine per day.

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by 44 rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia: An equable climate, a long shoreline with serene beaches, tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters, lush hill stations, exotic wildlife, waterfalls, and sprawling plantations and paddy fields. Many come to enjoy ayurvedic health holidays, enchanting art forms, magical festivals, historic and cultural monuments, and the exotic cuisine. Kerala boasts hundred percent literacy, world-class health care systems, and India's lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates.


Invited Speakers


Prof. Colin Bain, University of Durham, UK (vibrational spectroscopy in tribology)
Dr. Antoine Chateauminois, ESPCI, Paris, France (soft interfaces)
Dr. Rowena Crockett, Empa, Switzerland (tribology of glycoproteins)
Prof. Rosa Espinosa-Marzal, University of Illinois, USA (confined fluids)
Prof. Mark Robbins, Johns Hopkins University, USA (nanoscale roughness in tribology)
Prof. John Sader, University of Melbourne, Australia (AC methods in AFM)
Prof. Nic Spencer, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (tribology of surface-bound polymers)
Prof. Jason Stokes, University of Queensland, Australia (nanorheology and friction)
Prof. Eddy Tysoe, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA (subsurface effects in sliding)


Organizing Committee


Prof. Nicholas D. Spencer, ETH Zurich
Prof. Suzi Jarvis, University College, Dublin
Dr. Juliette Cayer-Barrioz, Ecole Centrale de Lyon
Prof. Vikram Jayaram, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Prof. Ganapathy Ayappa, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Dr. S.A. Syed Asif, Hysitron, Inc, Kerala (Local Organizer)
Dr. Karolina Rzepiejewska-Malyska, Hysitron, Inc, Kerala (Local Organizer)