Frictional Duality Observed during Nanoparticle Sliding
Abstract
One of the most fundamental questions in tribology concerns the area dependence of friction at the nanoscale. Here, experiments are presented where the frictional resistance of nanoparticles is measured by pushing them with the tip of an atomic force microscope. We find two coexisting frictional states: While some particles show finite friction increasing linearly with the interface areas of up to 310000nm2, other particles assume a state of frictionless sliding. The results further suggest a link between the degree of surface contamination and the occurrence of this duality.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- September 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.125505
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0805.2448
- Bibcode:
- 2008PhRvL.101l5505D
- Keywords:
-
- 62.20.Qp;
- 07.79.Sp;
- 46.55.+d;
- 81.40.Pq;
- Tribology and hardness;
- Friction force microscopes;
- Tribology and mechanical contacts;
- Friction lubrication and wear;
- Condensed Matter - Materials Science;
- Condensed Matter - Other Condensed Matter
- E-Print:
- revised version