Fractal prediction of frictional force against the interior surface of forming channel coupled with temperature in a ring die pellet machine

For the biomass ring die pellet machine, the frictional force against the interior surface of the forming channel is the main cause for its frictional wear and also is key to the research of wear mechanism as well as its prediction. In this study, four ring die samples were used to measure and obtain data on their surface morphology. The fractal dimension D and fractal feature G were calculated using the Yardstick method, and lastly a fractal prediction model of sliding frictional force against the interior surface of forming channel was built, which was coupled with a fractal model of temperature distribution over friction surface. Numerical simulation, as well as friction-wear test were conducted to verify the accuracy of the model. The result showed that: when Ar < Arc, the slope of F was larger, which means the frictional force increased more rapidly, and the larger slope of FD represented a rapidly decreasing unit of frictional force. When true contact area Ar = 3.93%, Aa, FT, and FTD increased with the increase in temperature; FT increased rapidly at first and then gradually slowed down. When Ar was small, FTD increased sharply with the increase in temperature.

A fractal model of contact between rough surfaces for a complete loading–unloading process

The mechanical properties of contact between rough surfaces play an important role in the reliability of the electromechanical system. In order to improve the design accuracy of precision instruments, an elastic-plastic contact model for three-dimensional rough surfaces based on the fractal theory is developed for a complete loading–unloading process based on the Majumdar and Bhushan model. The truncation size distribution functions of asperities for different values of asperity level in the loading process are given. Relationships between true contact area and total contact load in the complete loading–unloading process are obtained according to the truncation size distribution functions of asperities. The results show the range of asperity levels has significant effects on contact mechanical behaviors of fractal rough surfaces. When the first six levels of asperities do not exceed the critical elastic level, the fractal rough surfaces exhibit elastic behavior in a complete contact process, and the load–area relationships in the loading and unloading processes are coincident approximately. When the critical elastic level is less than the minimum level of asperity, the inelastic deformation begins to appear in fractal rough surfaces and the true contact area during the unloading process is always greater than the true area during the loading process for a given total contact load. In comparison with the K-K-E model, the present model is proved to be reasonable.

Linking energy loss in soft adhesion to surface roughness

A mechanistic understanding of adhesion in soft materials is critical in the fields of transportation (tires, gaskets, and seals), biomaterials, microcontact printing, and soft robotics. Measurements have long demonstrated that the apparent work of adhesion coming into contact is consistently lower than the intrinsic work of adhesion for the materials, and that there is adhesion hysteresis during separation, commonly explained by viscoelastic dissipation. Still lacking is a quantitative experimentally validated link between adhesion and measured topography. Here, we used in situ measurements of contact size to investigate the adhesion behavior of soft elastic polydimethylsiloxane hemispheres (modulus ranging from 0.7 to 10 MPa) on 4 different polycrystalline diamond substrates with topography characterized across 8 orders of magnitude, including down to the angstrom scale. The results show that the reduction in apparent work of adhesion is equal to the energy required to achieve conformal contact. Further, the energy loss during contact and removal is equal to the product of the intrinsic work of adhesion and the true contact area. These findings provide a simple mechanism to quantitatively link the widely observed adhesion hysteresis to roughness rather than viscoelastic dissipation.

Measuring and Understanding Contact Area at the Nanoscale: A Review

The size of the mechanical contact between nanoscale bodies that are pressed together under load has implications for adhesion, friction, and electrical and thermal transport at small scales. Yet, because the contact is buried between the two bodies, it is challenging to accurately measure the true contact area and to understand its dependence on load and material properties. Recent advancements in both experimental techniques and simulation methodologies have provided unprecedented insights into nanoscale contacts. This review provides a detailed look at the current understanding of nanocontacts. Experimental methods for determining contact area are discussed, including direct measurements using in situ electron microscopy, as well as indirect methods based on measurements of contact resistance, contact stiffness, lateral forces, and topography. Simulation techniques are also discussed, including the types of nanocontact modeling that have been performed and the various methods for extracting the magnitude of the contact area from a simulation. To describe and predict contact area, three different theories of nanoscale contact are reviewed: single-contact continuum mechanics, multiple-contact continuum mechanics, and atomistic accounting. Representative results from nanoscale experimental and simulation investigations are presented in the context of these theories. Finally, the critical challenges are described, as well as the opportunities, on the path to establishing a fundamental and actionable understanding of what it means to be “in contact” at the nanoscale.

Comment to paper “Penetration depth and tip radius dependence on the correction factor in nanoindentation measurements” by J.M. Meza et al. [J. Mater. Res. 23(3), 725 (2008)]

[Meza et al. J. Mater. Res.23(3), 725 (2008)] recently claimed that the correction factor beta for the Sneddon equation, used for the evaluation of nanoindentation load-displacement data, is strongly depth- and tip-shape-dependent. Meza et al. used finite element (FE) analysis to simulate the contact between conical or spheroconical indenters, and an elastic material. They calculated the beta factor by comparing the simulated contact stiffness with Sneddon’s prediction for conical indenters. Their analysis is misleading, and it is shown here that by applying the general Sneddon equation, taking into account the true contact area, an almost constant and depth-independent beta factor is obtained for conical, spherical and spheroconical indenter geometries.

Frictional behaviour of engineering surfaces in overall lubrication regimes of point contacts

The aim of the present paper is to study experimentally and numerically the frictional behaviour of engineering surfaces within all lubrication regions of point contacts. For this reason, a numerical solution proposed elsewhere by the current authors, which can predict friction under the different lubrication modes of elastohydrodynamic, mixed, and boundary lubrications, is introduced. Based on a deterministic model of mixed lubrication, the solution was combined with the variation of the lubricating films’ physical state during the transition of lubrication modes. Results show that roughness amplitude has a great effect on the transition of friction regimes. In addition, it is also observed that variation of the friction coefficient has nearly the same trend as the true contact area ratio in the mixed lubrication state. Meanwhile, it is concluded that transverse roughness has better film-forming capacity than longitudinal roughness and thus leads to a lower magnitude of friction coefficient if the operating conditions are the same. Analysis of the mechanism of friction behaviour suggests that the true contact area ratio determines the friction behaviour of engineering surfaces in mixed lubrication. In smooth contacts, the comparison of experiment tests and simulation results suggests that friction variation results from gradual change of the liquid lubricant to solid-like matter with diminishing film thickness.

Cracklike Processes within Frictional Motion: Is Slow Frictional Sliding Really a Slow Process?

The dynamics of frictional motion have been studied for hundreds of years, yet many aspects of these important processes are not understood. First described by Coulomb and Amontons as the transition from static to dynamic friction, the onset of frictional motion is central to fields as diverse as physics, tribology, mechanics of earthquakes, and fracture. We review recent studies in which fast (real-time) visualization of the true contact area along a rough spatially extended interface separating two blocks of like material has revealed the detailed dynamics of how this transition takes place. The onset of motion is preceded by a discrete sequence of rapid cracklike precursors, which are initiated at shear levels that are well below the threshold for static friction. These precursors systematically increase in spatial extent with the applied shear force and leave in their wake a significant redistribution of the true contact area. Their cumulative effect is such that, just prior to overall sliding of the blocks, a highly inhomogeneous contact profile is established along the interface. At the transition to overall motion, these precursor cracks trigger both slow propagation modes and modes that travel faster than the shear wave speed. Overall frictional motion takes place only when either the slow propagation modes or additional shear cracks excited by these slow modes traverse the entire interface. Surprisingly, in the resulting stick–slip motion, the surface contact profile retains the profile built up prior to the first slipping event. These results suggest a fracture-based mechanism for stick–slip motion that is qualitatively different from other descriptions.

Sliding-induced adhesion of stiff polymer microfibre arrays. I. Macroscale behaviour

Gecko-inspired microfibre arrays with 42 million polypropylene fibres cm −2 (each fibre with elastic modulus 1 GPa, length 20 μm and diameter 0.6 μm) were fabricated and tested under pure shear loading conditions, after removing a preload of less than 0.1 N cm −2 . After sliding to engage fibres, 2 cm 2 patches developed up to 4 N of shear force with an estimated contact region of 0.44 cm 2 . The control unfibrillated surface had no measurable shear force. For comparison, a natural setal patch tested under the same conditions on smooth glass showed approximately seven times greater shear per unit estimated contact region. Similar to gecko fibre arrays, the synthetic patch maintains contact and increases shear force with sliding. The high shear force observed (approx. 210 nN per fibre) suggests that fibres are in side contact, providing a larger true contact area than would be obtained by tip contact. Shear force increased over the course of repeated tests for synthetic patches, suggesting deformation of fibres into more favourable conformations.