Atomistic insight into flash temperature during friction

Heat generation at frictional interfaces is important due to its strong influence on the contacting material's deformation, microstructure, and mechanical properties. Inspired by the governing equations of convective heat transfer, a mathematical model is proposed to describe the microscopic friction-induced heat transfer process. The Prandtl-Tomlinson (P-T) model deals with the stick-slip motion of the sliding probe, and the energy conservation equation expresses the heat transfer process. The effect of friction on the heat transfer is represented by the frictional work in the energy conservation equation, and the thermal activation force in the P-T model introduces the effect of heat transfer on friction. Numerical results reveal that the interfacial temperature and friction force have the same period with the opposite trend. When the thermal-friction coupling effect is considered, the stick-slip motion is advanced, and the friction force decreases with the increase of the base temperature, while a barely noticeable difference is observed in the interfacial temperature rise. This work helps to improve the understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms between the rubbing surfaces, which is fundamental for various applications in friction welding and tribology.

Automated summary

This paper introduces a mathematical model to describe the friction-induced microscopic heat transfer process. The study shows that heat transfer is related to friction force, and the thermal-friction coupling effect affects stick-slip motion.