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Role of surface roughness in superlubricity

U Tartaglino1, V N Samoilov, B N J Persson

  • 1IFF, FZ-Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany. Democritos National Simulation Center, Via Beirut 2, 34014 Trieste, Italy.

Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter : an Institute of Physics Journal
|June 22, 2011
PubMed
Summary

We investigated how elastic solids slide against surfaces. Extremely low friction, or superlubricity, occurs for hard solids on smooth surfaces but vanishes with decreasing hardness or increasing roughness.

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