Experimental Study of Adhesion, Friction and Aging for a SBR-PBD Rubber Blend, Analyzed Using Multiscale-Contact-Mechanics and a Multi-modal Aging Model

Rubber blends have a complex behavior and it had been the subject of theoretical modeling from long time. Seminal works by Han, Cole-Parmer, Cole-Cole, and others have been directed to elucidate the behavior of blend from their viscoelastic behavior. Their composition, structure and properties have also an impact on their functional behavior, for example friction and adhesion. The recent developed Persson contact mechanics theory is an excellent theoretical frame to study such complicated functional behavior.
Using material characterization a Leonardo da Vinci experimental set-up (constant driving force), we have studied the low-speed sliding friction for a SBR-PBD rubber on a smooth polymer and glass substrate.
The friction force depends non-linearly on the load, which we attribute to the influence of adhesion on the area of real contact and the calculated dependency of the area of real contact on the load is compared with the experimental results. In addition the impact of aging under accelerated conditions has been characterized and modeled using a multi-modal analysis of aging.