Tohoku University · Engineering
Professor Toshiaki Nishi's research lab specializes in the tribology and interfacial science of soft materials, with a focus on friction, adhesion, and wettability in rubber and textile systems under lubricated or wet conditions. The lab investigates the fundamental mechanisms governing grip performance in footwear outsoles, sweat adhesion in sportswear, and frictional behavior in wet or oily environments, using advanced experimental techniques such as digital image correlation and evanescent field measurement. Their work bridges material design with human-centered functionality, aiming to enhance safety and comfort in everyday products.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
High slip-resistant footwear outsoles can reduce the risk of slip and fall on wet and icy surfaces. Falls on wet and icy surfaces can cause serious life-threatening injuries, especially for older adults. Here we show that footwear outsoles using the rubbers filled with activated carbon or sodium chloride produce higher friction force and reduce the slip rate in walking. We have identified that small depressions were formed on outsole materials filled with activated carbon or sodium chloride duri
In the material designing process of footwear outer-soles, a grip property of rubber is of crucial importance under water or oil lubricated condition. In general, contact states between rubber and floors under lubricated conditions are influenced by various factors, i. e. viscosity of a lubricant, sliding velocity, normal force, surface roughness and wettability between the two substrates. It has been said that lubrication conditions can be distinguished based on Stribeck curves, which are descr
In the material designing process of footwear outer-soles, the rubber grip property under lubricated conditions is important. Generally, friction behaviors of rubber under such conditions are influenced by contact states, which can be changed by various factors, i.e. viscosity, sliding velocity, normal force, surface roughness and wettability between two substrates. To discuss the influences of each parameter, the contact conditions are investigated. The purpose of this study is to establish a n
Sportswear is widely used in various sports and serves multiple functions. A key feature is the ability to absorb sweat during physical activity, which can, however, cause discomfort due to stickiness. This study focuses specifically on the stickiness caused by sweat between sportswear and the skin by objectively evaluating stickiness using specific physical parameters and correlating them with sensory evaluation values. Moreover, there is little research on the adhesion force between sportswear
In wet paper wiper, three-dimensional nonuniform wetting may occur and affect frictional behavior. This study aims to clarify the frictional behavior of wet paper wiper in order to develop guidelines for controlling the frictional behavior of similar products such as clothing and sponges. Friction tests were conducted between a paper wiper and a flat glass while varying the water content of the paper wiper. The friction coefficient reached a maximum at a certain water content depending on the no
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