Hysteresis Behavior in the Stick–Slip Mode at the Boundary Friction

Abstract

A tribological system is considered that consists of two atomically smooth solid surfaces separated by an ultrathin lubricant film. A thermodynamic model based on the Landau theory of phase transitions is built that describes the behavior of this system in the boundary friction mode. The free energy density for an ultrathin lubricant film is given in the form of expansion in series in terms of the powers of order parameter that is reduced to the shear modulus of the lubricant. The kinetics of the system is studied on the basis of a model describing first-order phase transitions between kinetic modes of friction. It is shown that in the presence of spring between the external drive and block the width of temperature hysteresis increases versus fixed coupling.