Slippery but tough - the rapid fracture of lubricated frictional interfaces

Abstract

We study the onset of friction for rough contacting blocks whose interface is coated with a thin lubrication layer. High speed measurements of the real contact area and stress fields near the interface reveal that propagating shear cracks mediate lubricated frictional motion. While lubricants reduce interface resistances, surprisingly, they significantly increase energy dissipated, $\Gamma$, during rupture. Moreover, lubricant viscosity affects the onset of friction but has no effect on $\Gamma$. Fracture mechanics provide a new way to view the otherwise hidden complex dynamics of the lubrication layer.

arXiv comment5 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Transition from static to kinetic friction: Insights from a 2D model

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Dynamic fields at the tip of sub-Rayleigh and supershear frictional rupture fronts
• The emergence of crack-like behavior of frictional rupture: The origin of stress drops
• Frictional sliding without geometrical reflection symmetry
• Experimental evidence of seismic ruptures initiated by aseismic slip
• Active learning for parameter-free multiscale modeling of boundary lubrication
• Onset of sliding across scales: How the contact topography impacts frictional strength
• Experimental testing of the Prandtl-Tomlinson model: Molecular origin of rotational friction