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Updated: May 15, 2026
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Determination of the Friction Coefficients of Icy Pavements Under Different Amounts of Snowfall
Published on: January 6, 2023
Rubber friction for tire tread compound on road surfaces
B Lorenz1, B N J Persson, G Fortunato
1IFF, FZ-Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany, EU. b.lorenz@fz-juelich.de
Summary
This study reveals that real contact area significantly contributes to tire friction on asphalt at low speeds. This is attributed to the shearing of a thin rubber smear film, crucial for understanding road surface interactions.
Area of Science:
- Tribology
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
Background:
- Understanding tire-road friction is critical for vehicle safety and performance.
- Surface topography and viscoelastic properties of tire compounds influence friction.
- Previous studies have explored friction at various scales, but low-velocity, specific road surface interactions require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between asphalt surface topography and tire friction at low velocities.
- To analyze the role of rubber viscoelasticity and real contact area in friction.
- To elucidate the micro-mechanisms governing friction on asphalt road surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Surface topography and power spectrum analysis of an asphalt road.
- Friction measurements of a tire tread compound across a range of low velocities (10^-6 to 10^-3 m/s) and temperatures (-8°C, 20°C, 48°C).
- Application of viscoelastic shift factors to create a master curve and measurement of rubber viscoelastic modulus at large strain.
Main Results:
- A master curve for friction was generated using bulk viscoelasticity shift factors.
- The effective rubber viscoelastic modulus at large strain was determined.
- A significant contribution of the real contact area to friction was observed at low velocities on the tested asphalt surface.
Conclusions:
- The real contact area plays a crucial role in tire friction at low velocities on smooth asphalt surfaces.
- This friction contribution is interpreted as the shearing of a confined rubber smear film.
- The findings provide insights into the micro-scale mechanisms of tire-road interaction and friction generation.
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