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Optical In Situ Micro Tribometer for Analysis of Real Contact Area for Contact Mechanics, Adhesion, and Sliding Experiments

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A Commentary to this article was published on 03 March 2012

Abstract

An instrument has been developed that allows in situ optical analysis and tribological measurements for contacts between solid bodies; an interferometric optical analysis can be used to measure and observe contact size, contact geometry, near contact topography, tribofilm formation, tribofilm motion, tribofilm thickness, wear debris formation, and wear debris morphology. The optical arrangement is in such a way that a 0th order interference fringe highlights the real contact area of contact, while near contact regions are height-mapped with higher order Newton’s rings interference fringes. Images synchronized with force and position measurements allow for the potential to test and validate models for contact mechanics, adhesion, and sliding. The contact and friction measurement between a rough rubber sphere and a polished glass counterface were studied over a range of loads from 1 to 50 mN.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge Bertrand Bellaton at CSM instruments for collaboration and development of a low profile optical path for the objective, camera, and light source. We would also like to thank David Hahn, Dan Dickrell, Pete Dillinger, and Nicolas Argibay at the University of Florida and Nestor Rodriguez and Paolo Mangiagalli at Becton–Dickinson for useful discussion and collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Brandon A. Krick, Jennifer R. Vail, Bo N. J. Persson & W. Gregory Sawyer

  2. IFF, FZ-Jülich, Jülich, 52425, Germany

    Bo N. J. Persson

Authors
  1. Brandon A. Krick
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  2. Jennifer R. Vail
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  3. Bo N. J. Persson
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  4. W. Gregory Sawyer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. Gregory Sawyer.

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A comment to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11249-012-9930-y.

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Krick, B.A., Vail, J.R., Persson, B.N.J. et al. Optical In Situ Micro Tribometer for Analysis of Real Contact Area for Contact Mechanics, Adhesion, and Sliding Experiments. Tribol Lett 45, 185–194 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-011-9870-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-011-9870-y

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