Dry and lubricated sliding friction for rubber on concrete: the role of surface energies.

Miyashita, N; Persson, B N J · Soft Matter · 2024

biomechanical · Level V

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Abstract

We study the influence of lubricant fluids (water-glycerol mixtures) on rubber sliding friction for two different rubber tread compounds on a concrete surface. We find that for the lubricated contacts the sliding friction below a critical velocity <i>v</i><sub>c</sub> is similar to that of the dry contact, but for <i>v</i> > <i>v</i><sub>c</sub> the friction drops fast with increasing sliding speed. We discuss the origin of this effect and show that it is not a "normal" mixed lubrication effect but depends on surface (or interfacial) energies.