Sliding Friction of Hard Sliders on Rubber: Theory and Experiment

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Xu, R., Persson, B. N. J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Xu, R.
Persson, B. N. J.
author_facet Xu, R.
Persson, B. N. J.
contents We present a study of sliding friction for rigid triangular steel sliders on soft rubber substrates under both lubricated and dry conditions. For rubber surfaces lubricated with a thin film of silicone oil, the measured sliding friction at room temperature agrees well with theoretical predictions obtained from a viscoelastic model originally developed for rolling friction. On the lubricated surface, the sliding friction is primarily due to bulk viscoelastic energy dissipation in the rubber. The model, which includes strain-dependent softening of the rubber modulus, accurately predicts the experimental friction curves. At lower temperatures ($T = -20^\circ {\rm C}$ and $-40^\circ {\rm C}$), the measured friction exceeds the theoretical prediction. We attribute this increase to penetration of the lubricant film by surface asperities, leading to a larger adhesive contribution. For dry surfaces, the adhesive contribution becomes dominant. By subtracting the viscoelastic component inferred from the lubricated case, we estimate the interfacial frictional shear stress. This shear stress increases approximately linearly with the logarithm of the sliding speed, consistent with stress-augmented thermal activation mechanisms.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_16943
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Sliding Friction of Hard Sliders on Rubber: Theory and Experiment
Xu, R.
Persson, B. N. J.
Soft Condensed Matter
We present a study of sliding friction for rigid triangular steel sliders on soft rubber substrates under both lubricated and dry conditions. For rubber surfaces lubricated with a thin film of silicone oil, the measured sliding friction at room temperature agrees well with theoretical predictions obtained from a viscoelastic model originally developed for rolling friction. On the lubricated surface, the sliding friction is primarily due to bulk viscoelastic energy dissipation in the rubber. The model, which includes strain-dependent softening of the rubber modulus, accurately predicts the experimental friction curves. At lower temperatures ($T = -20^\circ {\rm C}$ and $-40^\circ {\rm C}$), the measured friction exceeds the theoretical prediction. We attribute this increase to penetration of the lubricant film by surface asperities, leading to a larger adhesive contribution. For dry surfaces, the adhesive contribution becomes dominant. By subtracting the viscoelastic component inferred from the lubricated case, we estimate the interfacial frictional shear stress. This shear stress increases approximately linearly with the logarithm of the sliding speed, consistent with stress-augmented thermal activation mechanisms.
title Sliding Friction of Hard Sliders on Rubber: Theory and Experiment
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.16943