Effect of particles' characteristics and road surface's texture on the tire/road friction

This paper presents a laboratory study to investigate the lubrication induced by particles deposited on road surfaces which is responsible for the increase of accidents at the first rain after a long dry period. Particles are extracted from sediments collected at a catchment area and characterized by their chemical composition and size distribution. Protocol to simulate the particle deposit on the road surface and their compaction by the traffic is described. The test program includes variables such as particle concentrations, particles' size fractions and surface textures. Dry friction tests are conducted using the Skid Resistance Tester which simulates the sliding friction between a rubber slider and the test surface. Friction is lowered when the surface is covered by particles, compared with a clean surface. Repeated passages of the slider induce an increase of friction coefficient until reaching a stable value. Particles' flows during a friction run are separated into those ejected from the sample, those stored by the surface macrotexture and those that stay on the test surface; this study demonstrated that the friction coefficient is closely related to the quantity of particles available on the test surface. SEM analysis shows on the other hand that these particles are mainly trapped by the surface microtexture. Similar behavior between fine particles and powder in terms of lubrication mechanisms is observed.