Interview with Dennis
What’s your name?
Dennis Mallach
What are your hobbies?
First and foremost it is soccer. I am president of a soccer hobby team here in Münster and additionally I share the task of organizing the “bunte Freizeitliga” in Münster with four other people. But, since the beginning of the pandemic I also discovered running and when the halls reopened I started bouldering. During Easter I made my old moped fit again. I just love to hold a wrench in my hand and repair things or give new life to old things, even if the purpose is not the same afterwards. Besides that I have discovered gardening for me since two years. It simply decelerates and takes your mind off things.
What did you study and what is your highest educational attainment?
I have a diploma in physics and I am doing my PhD in this subject at the University of Münster. During my diploma thesis I investigated the rotational behaviour of hydrogen molecules when desorbing from a copper crystal. The word “rotation” has something to do with motion, but it is far away from the field of tribology. At that time it was something like a basic experiment for me, because from the desorption behavior also the adsorption behavior can be derived, which is interesting for many applications. In the meantime I have arrived in the field of surface analysis and investigate the desorption of all atoms and molecules that were on a surface. At least, if you take the term broadly, because I induce this “desorption” by means of a molecular beam. 😀
Where do you work and what’s your position?
I think I just answered this question, I’m doing my PhD at the WWU Münster and at the moment I’m writing my thesis.
Since when are you part of working group “Young Tribologists“?
In 2018 I was invited as a speaker to the 2nd Young Tribological Researcher Symposium. There I got to know the “Young Tribologists” and joined this sympathetic group -asap-.
In which part of the group are you currently participating?
Until recently I worked in the organizing group for the symposium, but this year I switched to the experimental group, because as an experimental physicist this was simply obvious to me.
Why are you a member of working group “Young Tribologists”?
I actually only joined the German Association of Tribology because I wanted to join the “Young Tribologists”. In my private time I like to do voluntary work and this was the perfect opportunity to combine my private and professional life in that respect. At the first meeting I got to know great and open-minded people and I just wanted to work with them.
How did you end up in the field of tribology?
When I had almost finished my diploma thesis, I realized that I still needed a second proof-reader. So I went to my current chief and asked him if he would examine my work as a second reviewer. After an initial refusal because he was too busy, I mentioned that it was only 60 pages long. “Oh, such a thin book?” he asked. “Well, I can fit that in. And what do you actually plan to do after you hand in this thesis?”. I answered that I wanted to do a PhD and he offered me a position. Since then I have been doing ToF-SIMS examinations, mostly on tribologically loaded systems.
What topics are you working on and are there any connections to the field of tribology?
Two years ago, a colleague from Hanover and I considered whether we could compare the (wear protection) coating structure and friction coefficient behavior of ZDDP with that of two selected ionic liquids. My current task is to examine the surface before and after SRV runs.
Do you have any favorite anecdote about the broad field of tribology?
Not really, but I read Mirjam’s anecdote. I think it’s really funny that it was just as much a coincidence that led to my “slipping” into tribology. 😀