Rubber Wear and the Role of Transfer Films on Rubber Friction on Hard Rough Substrates

Abstract

We study the influence of rubber transfer films on the sliding friction between rectangular rubber blocks and a concrete surface. We present experimental results for the friction coefficient for a rubber compound sliding on a concrete surface contaminated by another rubber compound, for two different pairs (A, B) and (C, D) of rubber compounds. For the same rubber compounds, we present theory results which illustrate the relative importance of the viscoelastic and adhesive contribution to the sliding friction. We correlate the calculated rubber friction with the nature of the observed transfer films (or wear processes). Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]