Abstract
The effect of surface textures on the friction of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomer has been investigated at both macro and microscales using a nanoindentation-scratching system. Friction tests were conducted by a stainless-steel bearing ball with a diameter of 1.6 mm (macroscale tests) and a Rockwell diamond tip with a radius of curvature of 25 μm (microscale tests) under normal loads of 5, 10, and 25 mN and with a sliding speed of 1 μm/s. Coefficient of friction (COF) on the pillar-textured surface was found to be much lower than that on the smooth surface of the same material, and it was reduced by about 59% at the macroscale tests and 38% at the microscale tests. The reduction of COF can be attributed to the reduced contact areas. The use of the JKR model revealed that the adhesion force has less effect on contacts under higher normal loads. COFs in different sliding directions on the groove-textured surfaces were compared, and a friction anisotropic behavior was identified and analyzed.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 187-197 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Tribology Letters |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2008 |
Funding
Acknowledgments The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Office of Naval Research and Department of Energy for financial supports. They would also like to thank Dr. Yuchuan Liu and Mr. Hualong Yu for helpful discussion.
Keywords
- Friction
- Friction anisotropy
- Micromolding
- PDMS elastomer
- Surface texture effect
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films