Zubieta Laborde Paul-Marie

After joining the physics-chemistry preparatory class at the Lycée Sainte-Geneviève in Versailles (2018-2020), Paul-Marie Zubieta Laborde is continuing his formation in Materials Science and Engineering at the INSA Lyon (2020-2023). In particular, he is specializing in surface engineering, a field he is exploring through a research year devoted to the durability of coated systems in the agri-food sector, as well as through his final year internship in Spain, focusing on printing issues on construction surfaces.

Thesis project

An estimated 25% of the world's energy consumption and 75% of mechanical breakdowns are due to friction, the force that opposes relative motion between objects in contact. Reducing friction would therefore have a considerable economic impact. Not only would it extend machine life and reduce energy consumption, it would also make possible many systems that are currently limited by excessive contact forces, wear and material degradation. This is the background to my thesis project, conducted as part of the European SSLiP (Scaling up Superlubricity into Persistence) project in collaboration with universities in Ireland, Italy, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Ukraine. It is dedicated to the research, experimentation and characterization of innovative systems aimed at achieving an ultra-low friction speed (less than 1%) that is both environmentally and technologically sustainable.