Role of wettability, adhesion, and instabilities in transitions during lubricated sliding friction

Lubricated contacts in soft materials are important in various engineering systems and natural settings. Three major lubrication regimes are boundary (BL), mixed (ML), and elastohydrodynamic (EHL) lubrication, where the contact region is dry, partially wetted, or fully wetted, respectively. The transition between these regimes is insufficiently understood, especially for soft contacts, which impedes desired control of lubricated sliding friction. Here, we report on the role of solid wettability and adhesion on these transitions. Wettability of glycerol on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces and adhesion between a glass indenter and PDMS were varied by exposure of the PDMS to an ultraviolet light-ozone cleaner. By combining friction tests and visualization, we demonstrate that the transition from ML to BL regime is dominated by the wettability of the lubricant; increasing wettability of glycerol makes removal of liquid from the contact region more difficult. Transition from EHL to ML is related to a series of events with increasing normal load, which are thinning of the lubricant layer, sudden jump to contact between the glass indenter and solid substrate across a gap of tens of nanometers, and attendant mechanical instabilities such as wrinkling and stick-slip. These results provide a deeper understanding of transitions in lubricated frictional behavior of soft materials which govern the maximum and minimum friction achievable.