Analysis of the apparent friction of polymeric surfaces

The apparent friction coefficient is the ratio between the tangential force and the normal load applied to moving body in contact with the surface of a material. This coefficient includes a so-called “true local friction” at the interface and a “geometrical friction” which is the ploughing effect. The material underneath a moving tip may display various types of behaviour: elastic, elastic–plastic where elastic and plastic strain are present in the contact area, or fully plastic. As is usual in polymers, the material behaviour is time and temperature dependent and may exhibit strain hardening. A surface flow line model of a scratching tip which links the apparent friction to the local friction and contact geometry was recently proposed. An inverse analysis is used in the present work to estimate the local friction from the measured apparent friction and a knowledge of the contact area and tip shape. The polymer true friction coefficient displays temperature and sliding speed dependency, which may be attributed to the surface thermodynamics. It is shown that the local friction depends on the level of strain in the polymer at the contact interface.