Adhesion and Friction for Three Tire Tread Compounds

Abstract

We study the adhesion and friction for three tire tread rubber compounds. The adhesion study is for a smooth silica glass ball in contact with smooth sheets of the rubber in dry condition and in water. The friction studies are for rubber sliding on smooth glass, concrete, and asphalt road surfaces. We have performed the Leonardo da Vinci-type friction experiments and experiments using a linear friction tester. On the asphalt road, we also performed vehicle breaking distance measurements. The linear and non-linear viscoelastic properties of the rubber compounds were measured in shear and tension modes using two different Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) instruments. The surface topography of all surfaces was determined using stylus measurements and scanned-in silicon rubber replicas. The experimental data were analyzed using the Persson contact mechanics and rubber friction theory.