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The Influence of Shearing Parameters on the Frictional Forces Measured Between Polymer Brushes

Published

Author(s)

Aaron M. Forster, S. M. Kilbey

Abstract

Polymer brushes have potential as end-tethered lubricants. Brush layers immersed in a good solvent must be compressed to ~16% of their equilibrium height before friction forces are measured. The same experiment in a solvent near the theta temperature will produce friction forces just as the brushes first begin to interact. At this time, there is no definitive understanding of how these layers dissipate friction. The focus of this research is to understand the origins of friction between sliding brush layers. We have measured the normal and friction forces between three different molecular weight polystyrene brushes formed from polystyrene-polyvinylpyridine (PS-PVP) diblock copolymers using the surface forces apparatus (SFA). The experiments were conducted in toluene at 32 C (good solvent for PS), and cyclohexane (theta solvent at 34 C) at 32, 40, and 50 C. Shearing was initiated by oscillating one brush layer past an opposing layer using a triangular wave signal (steady sliding).We have previously shown that the ability of a polymer brush layer to dissipate friction forces increases with solvent temperature. Despite the improvement in friction dissipation, the normal force profiles between the layers remain relatively unchanged. As a further analysis of the friction experiments we discuss the role of shearing parameters, such as frequency and amplitude of oscillation, on the friction force measured during an experiment.
Citation
ACS PMSE Preprint
Volume
44(1)

Keywords

diblock copolymers, friction, polymer brushes, solvent quality, surface forces apparatus

Citation

Forster, A. and Kilbey, S. (2003), The Influence of Shearing Parameters on the Frictional Forces Measured Between Polymer Brushes, ACS PMSE Preprint, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852119 (Accessed October 8, 2024)

Issues

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Created January 1, 2003, Updated February 19, 2017