The interpretation of certain phenomena occuring at nominally flat surfaces in stationary or sliding contact is dependent on the assumed distribution of the real area of contact between the surfaces. Since there is little direct evidence on which to base an estimate of this distribution, the approach used is to set up a simple model and compare the deduced theory (e.g., the deduced dependence of the experimental observables on the load) with the experimental evidence. The main conclusions are as follows. (a) The electrical contact resistance depends on the model used to represent the surfaces; the most realistic model is one in which increasing the load increases both the number and size of the contact areas. (b) In general, mechanical wear should also depend on the model. However, in wear experiments showing the simplest behavior, the wear rate is proportional to the load, and these results can be explained by assuming removal of lumps at contact areas formed by plastic deformation; moreover, this particular deduction is independent of the assumed model. This suggests that a basic assumption of previous theories, that increasing the load increases the number of contacts without affecting their average size, is redundant.

Contact and Rubbing of Flat Surfaces

This essential reference for graduate students and researchers provides a unified treatment of earthquakes and faulting as two aspects of brittle tectonics at different timescales. The intimate connection between the two is manifested in their scaling laws and populations, which evolve from fracture growth and interactions between fractures. The connection between faults and the seismicity generated is governed by the rate and state dependent friction laws - producing distinctive seismic styles of faulting and a gamut of earthquake phenomena including aftershocks, afterslip, earthquake triggering, and slow slip events. The third edition of this classic treatise presents a wealth of new topics and new observations. These include slow earthquake phenomena; friction of phyllosilicates, and at high sliding velocities; fault structures; relative roles of strong and seismogenic versus weak and creeping faults; dynamic triggering of earthquakes; oceanic earthquakes; megathrust earthquakes in subduction zones; deep earthquakes; and new observations of earthquake precursory phenomena.

The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting

Single-crystal silicon is being increasingly employed in a variety of new commercial products not because of its well-established electronic properties, but rather because of its excellent mechanical properties. In addition, recent trends in the engineering literature indicate a growing interest in the use of silicon as a mechanical material with the ultimate goal of developing a broad range of inexpensive, batch-fabricated, high-performance sensors and transducers which are easily interfaced with the rapidly proliferating microprocessor. This review describes the advantages of employing silicon as a mechanical material, the relevant mechanical characteristics of silicon, and the processing techniques which are specific to micromechanical structures. Finally, the potentials of this new technology are illustrated by numerous detailed examples from the literature. It is clear that silicon will continue to be aggressively exploited in a wide variety of mechanical applications complementary to its traditional role as an electronic material. Furthermore, these multidisciplinary uses of silicon will significantly alter the way we think about all types of miniature mechanical devices and components.

Silicon as a mechanical material

The dependence of the friction force on slip history is described by an experimentally motivated constitutive law where the friction force is dependent on slip rate and state variables The state variables are defined macroscopically by evolution equations for their rates of change in terms of their present values and slip rate Experiments may strongly suggest that one state variable is adequate or prove that one is inadequate Analysis of steady slip governed by a single state variable in a spring and (massless) slider predict oscillations at a critical spring stiffness k = kcrit The critical stiffness kcrit is given by a simple formula and steady slip is stable for k > kcrit and unstable for k < kcrit State variable friction laws may superficially appear as a simple slip rate dependence, slip distance dependence, or time dependent static friction, depending on experiment and testing machinery Truly complicated motion is possible in a spring-slider model if more than one state variable is used Further consequences of state variable friction laws can include creep waves and apparent rate independence for some phenomena

Slip instability and state variable friction laws

Material Properties That Influence Surface Interactions. Surface Interactions. Friction. Types of Wear. Adhesive Wear. Abrasive and Other Types of Wear. Lubrication. Adhesion. Appendix. Sample Problems. Index.

Friction and Wear of Materials

A study of abrasive wear under three-body conditions

Experiments have been carried out to determine the transition between static and kinetic conditions when stationary metal surfaces are set into motion, a simple method being used which measures the energy that has to be given to one of the bodies to start it moving. The method is confined to cases in which the static coefficient exceeds the kinetic. Using a load of 1 kg and metal surfaces of various kinds, it is found that the static coefficient persists for distances of the order of 10−4 cm, and then gradually falls off to values corresponding to the kinetic coefficient. This behavior is shown to be consistent with a simple model based on the assumption that the friction force is needed to shear metallic junctions formed between the metal surfaces. The action of boundary lubricants is discussed, and it is shown that they can act either by diminishing the metallic interaction directly, or by preventing its increase during the sliding process.

The Nature of the Static and Kinetic Coefficients of Friction

Friction and Wear of Self-Lubricating Metallic Materials

Stick-slip oscillations are normally analysed in terms of the kinetic friction-velocity and the static friction-time of stick characteristics of the rubbing surfaces. It is shown that, in addition, a critical distance, of the order of 10-3 cm, enters into the calculations, being the minimum resolving power of the friction process. Stick-slip oscillations must normally have an amplitude greater than the critical distance, and thus increased spring stiffness is often effective in eliminating stick-slip. Using the critical distance concept, it is possible to deduce a simple relationship between the static and kinetic coefficients of friction, and this is confirmed by experimental data.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0370-1328/71/4/316/pdf

Ernest Rabinowicz

Papers

Friction and Wear of Materials

A study of abrasive wear under three-body conditions

The Nature of the Static and Kinetic Coefficients of Friction

Friction and Wear of Self-Lubricating Metallic Materials

The Intrinsic Variables affecting the Stick-Slip Process