Rubber friction control method focusing on mechanical interlocking between surface roughness and internally dispersed hard particles

Abstract

The frictional properties of rubber materials are strongly influenced by the viscoelasticity of the rubber itself. When a rubber block slides on a rough surface, the bulk region near the sliding surface repeatedly deforms up and down following the surface roughness, and part of the vibration energy is dissipated as heat inside the rubber. This frictional work loss corresponds to frictional force. We have been studying a method to increase friction force by utilizing the enhancement of bulk vibration by filling inside hard particles. In this study, we studied whether our proposed method apply tire rubber used in actual products. Tire rubber is filled with fillers to improve wear resistance and strength. We investigated the effect of the size and density of these particles on the friction force, and the results showed that the coefficient of friction increased when the filled particles mechanically interlock with the unevenness of the mating surface.