Micro-Macro-Shear-Displacement Behavior of Contacting Rough Solids

Interlocking asperities are shown to have a fundamental effect on the friction behavior of contacting solids through theoretically derived shear force-displacement relationship. The key aspect of this relationship is the asperity contact orientation probability distribution obtained using the random process theory in terms of measurable surface roughness parameters. Thus, the obliquity of surface asperity contact is included in the contact shear analysis in a fundamental manner. The interlocking asperities are found to result in a normal load-dependent friction coefficient for a contact. The interlocking also affects contact partial slip and the shear displacements that precede sliding. The derived relationship can be used to evaluate factors, such as asperity adhesion, plasticity, damage, normal-shear coupling and scale dependency, which are difficult to separate in experiments and atomistic simulations.