Robert Erck

Mathematics major
Physics major
Class of 1976

(1/7/2014) Robert Erck received his B.A. degree in physics and math from Goshen College in 1976. He obtained an M.S. in physics in 1979, and a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering in 1988 from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He has been working at Argonne National Laboratory since 1989 first as post-doc then as staff scientist. His thesis involved radiation effects in metals. The present work of his Section primarily involves tribological investigation of sliding surfaces as a means of reducing friction and wear in engineering systems including vehicles. Projects involve solid lubricants, particle lubricants, hard coatings, diamondlike carbon, and dry sliding in vacuum or other environments such as hydrogen or methane. Coatings, textured surfaces, and novel materials have been examined. Other projects that he has worked on have been flywheel energy storage and flywheel bursting, hydrogen uptake in ITER, MOCVD growth of BST ferroelectric films, and PLD deposition of YBCO superconducting films. He is involved with a local technical society, an Association board, a theater, and a forest restoration group.