Eur. Phys. J. E (2012) 35: 83
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2012-12083-0

Regular Article

Slip dynamics at a patterned rubber/glass interface during stick-slip motions

¹ Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Polymères et des Milieux Dispersés, UMR CNRS 7615, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
² Surface du Verre et Interfaces, UMR 125, CNRS/Saint Gobain, Aubervilliers, France

^* e-mail: antoine.chateauminois@espci.fr

Received: 7 May 2012
Revised: 4 July 2012
Accepted: 1 August 2012
Published online: 13 September 2012

Abstract

We report on an experimental study of heterogeneous slip instabilities generated during stick-slip motions at a contact interface between a smooth rubber substrate and a patterned glass lens. Using a sol-gel process, the glass lens is patterned with a lattice of parallel ridges (wavelength, 1.6 μm, amplitude 0.35 μm). Friction experiments using this patterned surface result in the systematic occurrence of stick-slip motions over three orders of magnitude in the imposed driving velocity while stable friction is achieved with a smooth surface. Using a contact imaging method, real-time displacement fields are measured at the surface of the rubber substrate. Stick-slip motions are found to involve the localized propagation of transverse interface shear cracks whose velocity is observed to be remarkably independent on the driving velocity.