Friction of diene rubbers on rough floors considering viscoelastic properties in the high strain range

When rubber contacts a rough surface, it undergoes cyclic deformation due to friction against asperities on the surface. The generated friction force manifests as a hysteresis term. Hysteresis is determined by energy dissipation, which is related to the viscoelastic properties of rubber. However, these properties depend on the strain and frequency of the deformation. Here I conducted a friction test of rubber. The friction coefficient was found to depend on the friction conditions (normal force, sliding velocity, and surface roughness) and the material conditions (styrene content and filler content). The strain and frequency of rubber deformation were theoretically modeled using the Greenwood–Williamson model. The modeled friction coefficient increased with the energy loss ratio calculated from the measured viscoelastic properties.