Scale Effect of Surface Asperities on Stick-Slip Behavior of Zinc- Coated Steel

Stick-slip behavior between friction pairs causes severe vibration problems such as abrasion and noise pollution, leading to material loss and deterioration in human health. This phenomenon is extremely complex because the surfaces of friction pairs have various asperities with different sizes. Therefore, it is of importance to understand the scale effect of asperities on the stick-slip behavior. Here, we selected four kinds of zinc-coated steels with multiscale surface asperities as a presentative example to reveal what types of asperities play the key role in affecting the stick-slip behavior. It is discovered that the stick-slip behavior is dominated by the density of small-scale asperities rather than largescale asperities. High-density small-scale asperity increases the potential energy between asperities of the friction pairs, which leads to stick-slip behavior. It is suggested that decreasing the density of small-scale asperity on the surface significantly suppresses the stick-slip behavior. The present study reveals the scale effect of surface asperities on the stick-slip behavior and thus could offer a pathway to tailoring the surface topography of a wide range of materials for suppressing the stick-slip behavior.

Automated summary

Stick-slip behavior between friction pairs can cause severe vibration problems, leading to material loss and health deterioration. This study investigates the scale effect of surface asperities on the stick-slip behavior using zinc-coated steels with multiscale surface asperities. It is found that the stick-slip behavior is dominated by the density of small-scale asperities, and decreasing this density can significantly suppress the stick-slip behavior. This research provides insights for tailoring surface topography to mitigate stick-slip behavior in various materials.