Stress Field at a Sliding Frictional Contact: Experiments and Calculations

TL;DR

This study combines MEMS-based stress measurements with an exact bidimensional model to analyze stress fields in sliding friction, revealing close agreement but also highlighting deviations and the importance of interface conditions.

Contribution

It introduces an exact 2D model for frictional stress fields and compares it with experimental measurements, improving understanding of stress distributions in sliding contacts.

Findings

Measured stress profiles agree within 14% of model predictions.

The exact model outperforms classical assumptions at high loads.

Deviations suggest additional factors influence stress fields.

Abstract

A MEMS-based sensing device is used to measure the normal and tangential stress fields at the base of a rough elastomer film in contact with a smooth glass cylinder in steady sliding. This geometry allows for a direct comparison between the stress profiles measured along the sliding direction and the predictions of an original \textit{exact} bidimensional model of friction. The latter assumes Amontons' friction law, which implies that in steady sliding the interfacial tangential stress is equal to the normal stress times a pressure-independent dynamic friction coefficient $\mu_d$, but makes no further assumption on the normal stress field. Discrepancy between the measured and calculated profiles is less than 14% over the range of loads explored. Comparison with a test model, based on the classical assumption that the normal stress field is unchanged upon tangential loading, shows that the exact model better reproduces the experimental profiles at high loads. However, significant deviations remain that are not accounted for by either calculations. In that regard, the relevance of two other assumptions made in the calculations, namely (i) the smoothness of the interface and (ii) the pressure-independence of $\mu_d$ is briefly discussed.