Estimation of rubber sliding friction from asperity interaction modeling

Interaction between a soft rubber asperity and its hard counterpart is traced with the help of a finite element computation. The analysis is aimed to estimate the influence of adhesion between rubber and rigid surfaces and the energy losses arising from the deformation of rubber bulk to the sliding resistance. At the contact zone, interfacial bonds are formed due to adhesion and their resistance to sliding is represented by the shear strength of the contact interface. In the rubber bulk, the hysteresis loss is calculated using an appropriate model of the viscoelastic mechanical behavior of rubber for large strains. Dependence of friction on sliding speeds and temperature is hence detected. Influence of surface roughness and contact pressure on friction is also examined. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.