Viscoelastic contact mechanics between randomly rough surfaces

Abstract: We present exact numerical results for the friction force and the contact area for a viscoelastic solid (rubber) in sliding contact with hard, randomly rough substrates. The rough surfaces are self-affine fractal with roughness over several decades in length scales. We calculate the contribution to the friction from the pulsating deformations induced by the substrate asperities. We also calculate how the area of real contact, $A(v,p) $, depends on the sliding speed $v$ and on the nominal contact pressure $p$, and we show how the contact area for any sliding speed can be obtained from a universal master curve $A(p)$. The numerical results are found to be in good agreement with the predictions of an analytical contact mechanics theory.