Effect of surface grooves on kinetic friction of a rubber slider

This study discusses the effect on kinetic friction of the number of surface grooves present on the contact surface of a rubber slider. From some experiments, it was found that the number of grooves is important in determining the kinetic friction. For a dry interface, kinetic friction decreases as the number of grooves increases. However, for a wet interface, the effect of the grooves on kinetic friction depends on the surface roughness of the rubber slider. For a rubber slider with a relatively rough surface, kinetic friction increases as the number of grooves increases. In contrast, for a smooth rubber slider and a wet interface, kinetic friction decreases with increasing number of grooves. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.