Jun Qu
Corporate Fellow and Group Leader of Surface Engineering & Tribology
Bio
Dr. Jun Qu currently is a Corporate Fellow and the Group Leader of Surface Engineering & Tribology in the Materials Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research interests include: advanced lubrication, surface engineering, materials tribology, nanostructured materials, and manufacturing. He has developed 2 ASTM standards, published 3 book chapters and 140+ peer-reviewed journal papers, and received 11 U.S. patents. Dr. Qu’s publications have received 9000+ citations (h index 50) and is among the top 100,000 of the most-cited scientists across all fields. Dr. Qu has received multiple national awards including 2020 UT-Battelle Distinguished Researcher Award, 2014 DOE Vehicle Technologies Office R&D Award, and three R&D 100 Awards or Finalists. He is a Fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) and serves on the Board of Directors for Wear of Materials.
Professional Experience
- 10/2024 – present ORNL Corporate Fellow
- 11/2021 – present Group Leader, Surface Engineering & Tribology Group, Materials Science & Technology Division (MSTD), ORNL
- 10/2020 – 10/2021 Interim Group Leader, Materials Processing Group, MSTD, ORNL
- 01/2016 – 09/2024 Distinguished R&D Staff, MSTD, ORNL
- 10/2011 – 12/2015 Senior R&D Staff, MSTD, ORNL
- 01/2007 – 09/2011 R&D Staff, MSTD, ORNL
- 02/2004 – 12/2006 Associate R&D Staff, Metals & Ceramics Division (M&C), ORNL
- 05/2002 – 02/2004 Postdoctoral Research Associate, M&C, ORNL
Awards
• 2022 R&D 100 Award Finalist (Team Lead), jointly with Danfoss, A high-efficiency carbon nanotube-coated mesh seal
• 2020 Distinguished Researcher Award, Recognition of sustained and distinguished accomplishments with high impact in science and engineering, ORNL/UT-Battelle Awards Night.
• 2020 R&D 100 Award Finalist (Team Lead), A superlubricity coating composed of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
• 2014 R&D 100 Award (Team lead), jointly among ORNL, GM, Shell, and Lubrizol, Ionic liquid anti-wear additives for fuel-efficient engine lubricants.
• 2014 U.S. DOE Vehicle Technologies Office R&D Award, for research achievements in ionic liquid lubricants and additives.
• 2009 John Bollinger Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Conferred in recognition of significant achievement and leadership in manufacturing engineering, Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).
• 2015 ORNL Significant Event Award, Discovery and fundamental understanding of incompatibility between diamond-like-carbon coatings and lubricant additives provide new insights for future materials development.
• 2014 ORNL Significant Event Award, Development of lubricant that meets DOE goal of 2 percent vehicle fuel economy improvement.
• 2011 ORNL Significant Event Award, Breakthrough in ionic liquid lubricants recognized by a major DOE program award.
Education
- Ph.D. 5/2002 Major: Mechanical Engineering, Minor: Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
- M.S. 8/1999 Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Professional Service
- Conference Organizing
- STLE Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC), 2019–present
- Conference Chair, 24th International Conference on Wear of Materials, Banff, Canada, April 16–20, 2023 (WoM 2023)
- Program Chair, 23rd International Conference on Wear of Materials, Virtual, April 25–29, 2021 (WoM 2021)
- Organizing Committee/Associate Editor, 17th, 21st and 22nd International Conference on Wear of Materials, 2009, 2017, and 2019.
- Organizer, Symposium for Hardfacing Coatings for Wear and Corrosion Resistance Applications, Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) 2010 and 2012.
- Book/Journal Editing
- Co-Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Tribology and Lubrication, Elsevier, 2023-26
- Associate Editor, Friction, 2020–present
- Associate Editor, Lubricants, 2017–present
- Editor, Special Issue Advanced Lubrication for Energy Efficiency II, 2020–21
- Editor, Special Issue Advanced Lubrication for Energy Efficiency, 2018
- Associate Editor, Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, 2015–present
- Co-Editor, Special Issue Ionic Liquids in Tribology, 2020–21.
- Editor, Special Issue Advanced Tribology and Lubrication: From Nanoscale Phenomena to Real World Applications, 2018–19.
- Associate Editor, ASME Journal of Tribology, 2020–23
- Key Reader, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2013–22
- Technical Editor, Tribology & Lubrication Technology, 2009–14.
- Government
- U.S. Representative, International Energy Agency (IEA) Advanced Materials for Transportation (AMT) Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP), 2022–present
- U.S. DoD Military Vehicle Industry Consortium (MVIC) on Fluid Modernization, 2020–present
- U.S. DOE Lubricants Working Group, 2015–18
- National Academy of Engineering (NAE)’s 2015 U.S. NAE Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
Professional Affiliations
- Fellow, Society of Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE), 2017–present
- Wear of Materials Board of Directors, 2019–present
- STLE Fellows Committee, 2022–present
- SAE Fuels and Lubricants TC 3 Driveline and Chassis Lubrication Committee, 2022–present
- ASTM International, G2 on Wear and Erosion and D2 on Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels, and Lubricants, 2017–present
Trademarks and Patents
- J. Qu, C. Kumara, P.A. Menchhofer, “Superlubricity coating containing carbon nanotubes,” U.S. Patent , 11,970,764, April 30, 2024.
- J. Qu, H.M. Luo, X. He, “Ionic liquids containing quaternary ammonium and phosphonium cations, and their use as environmentally friendly lubricant,” U.S. Patent #11,760,766, Sept. 19, 2023.
- C. Kumara, J. Qu, “Metal nanoparticles as lubricant additives,” U.S. Patent #11,370,988, Jun. 28, 2022.
- J. Qu, H.M. Luo, “Ionic liquids containing symmetric quaternary phosphonium cations and phosphorus-containing anions, and their use as lubricant additives,” U.S. Patent #10435642, October 8, 2019. [Licensed to Driven Racing Oil in 2019]
- J. Qu, H.M. Luo, “Corrosion prevention of magnesium surfaces via surface conversion treatments using ionic liquids,” U.S. Patent #9,435,033, September 6, 2016.
- Z. Feng, J. Qu, M.L. Santella, T.Y. Pan, A.D. Roche, Y.U. Sheng-Tao, “Method of making nanoparticle reinforced metal matrix components,” U.S. Patent #9,023,128, May 5, 2015.
- C. Higdon, A.A. Elmoursi, J. Goldsmith, B. Cook, P.J. Blau, J. Qu, R. Milner, “Ion beam sputter target and method of manufacture,” U.S. Patent #8,821,701, August 13, 2014.
- J. Qu, H.T. Lin, P.J. Blau, V.K. Sikka, “Titanium aluminide intermetallic alloys with improved wear resistance,” U.S. Patent #8,771,439 B2, July 8, 2014.
- J.A. Ambrose, G. Mackiewicz-Ludtka, V.K. Sikka, J. Qu, “Oven rack having integral lubricious, dry porcelain surface,” US Patent #8,739,773 B2, June 3, 2014.
- J. Qu, S. Dai, and H. Luo, "Method for synthesis of titanium dioxide nanotubes using ionic liquids," U.S. Patent #8,585,886, November 19, 2013.
- J. Qu, J.J. Truhan, S. Dai, H. Luo, P.J. Blau, “Lubricants or lubricant additives composed of ionic liquids containing ammonium cations,” U.S. Patent #7,754,664, July 13, 2010.− The first granted U.S. patent in the topic of ionic liquid lubrication.