A Greenwood-Williamson Model of Small-Scale Friction

Abstract

A Greenwood and Williamson based model for interfacial friction is presented that incorporates the presliding transition phenomenon that can significantly affect small devices. This work builds on previous similar models by developing: an analytical estimate of the transition length in terms of material and surface parameters, a general recursion formula for the case of slip in one direction with multiple reversals and constant normal loading, and a numerical method for the general three-dimensional loading case. In addition, the proposed model is developed within a plasticity-like framework and is shown to have qualitative similarities with published experimental observations. A number of model problems illustrate the response of the proposed model to various loading conditions.