A numerical investigation of the sliding contact between a rigid spherical indenter and a rubber surface: The effect of sliding depth and surface roughness

Sliding analysis of the rubber with respect to friction is important especially related to the braking capacity of a tyre rubber. The friction force of the contact between a rubber surface and its counter-face is often caused as a combination of deformation and adhesion (roughness) effects. Due to the non-linear behaviour of the rubber material, friction phenomenon on the rubber is difficult to analyse theoretically; therefore, a numerical method is often applied. This paper discusses the phenomenon of friction between a rubber surface (SBR-25) and a rigid spherical indenter. The analysis was carried out numerically using FE Analysis with a specified sliding velocity of the indenter. The rubber used is commonly applied as tyre material and modelled as a hyper-elastic material. Friction contact phenomena were observed based on variations in sliding depth and surface roughness. The results obtained were stress distribution, maximum stress, contact forces and coefficient of friction. In general, the results showed that a dynamic phenomenon emerged at a great sliding depth and high surface roughness. This is indicated by fluctuating values of the stress, contact forces and friction coefficient during sliding.