Static Friction between Elastic Solids due to Random Asperities

Abstract

AbstractSeveral workers have argued that should be negligible static friction per unit area in the macroscopic solid limit for interfaces between both incommensurate and disordered atomically flat weakly interacting solids. In contrast, the present work argues that in the low load limit, when one considers disorder on the multiasperity scale, the asperties act independently to a good approximation. This can account for the virtual universal occurence of static friction.