Static Friction of Contacting Real Surfaces in the Presence of Sub-Boundary Lubrication

Abstract

A model for calculating the static friction coefficient of contacting real (rough) surfaces in the presence of very thin liquid films (sub-boundary lubrication) is developed. The liquid has a very high affinity for the surfaces and its thickness is of the order of the surface roughness average. An extension of the Greenwood and Williamson (GW) asperity model and an improved Derjaguin, Muller and Toporov (DMT) adhesion model are utilized for calculating the contact and adhesion forces, respectively. The effects of the liquid film thickness and the surface topography on the static friction coefficient are investigated. A critical film thickness is found above which the friction coefficient increases sharply. The critical thickness depends on the surface roughness and the external normal load. This phenomenon is more profound for very smooth surfaces and small normal loads, in agreement with published experimental work on magnetic hard disk interfaces.