Influence of Surface Roughness, Material and Climate Conditions on the Friction of Human Skin

The gliding comfort and performance of personal care and wellness products is strongly influenced by the sliding friction behaviour of human skin. In the open literature, most of the results on skin friction are related to the performance of cosmetic products or to the slip and grip properties of surfaces. Experiments were usually carried out on the forearm or the fingertips. The influence of the surface roughness and the material of engineering surfaces have received little attention so far, especially not in sliding contact with the skin of the cheek, or under different climate conditions. A custom-built rotating ring device was used to study the influence of the probe surface roughness (R _a = 0.1–10 μm), the probe material (metals, plastics), the climate conditions (21–29 °C, 37–92% RH) and skin hydration on the frictional behaviour of the skin on the cheek and the forearm. The amplitude of the surface roughness has a dominant influence on the friction behaviour: the smoother the surface, the higher the friction. Differences can be as large as a factor 5–10, especially in the range R _a < 1 μm. The probe material itself has no significant influence; except for PFTE which reduces the friction by approximately 25% compared to the other materials. In a humid climate, the skin becomes hydrated and the friction is twice as high as in a dry climate. The effect of skin hydration is smaller on the cheek than on the forearm, probably due to the presence of beard stubbles. A simple friction model for human skin is presented, based on adhesion friction, contact mechanics of rough surfaces and the interfacial shear stress of thin organic films. The model explains the effects of the probe surface roughness and skin compliance. Quantitative application of the model indicates that the biomechanical indentation and shearing behaviour of the stratum corneum is influenced by the same physical process, i.e. the intercellular bonding strength of the corneocytes.     

Contact Mechanics and Friction on Dry and Wet Human Skin

The surface topography of the human wrist skin is studied using an optical method and the surface roughness power spectrum is obtained. The Persson contact mechanics theory is used to calculate the contact area for different magnifications, for both dry and wet condition of the skin. For dry skin, plastic yielding becomes important and will determine the area of contact observed at the highest magnification. The measured friction coefficient [M.J. Adams et al., Tribol Lett 26:239, 2007] on both dry and wet skin can be explained assuming that a frictional shear stress σ_f ≈ 15 MPa acts in the area of real contact during sliding. This frictional shear stress is typical for sliding on polymer surfaces, and for thin (nanometer) confined fluid films. The big increase in the friction, which has been observed for glass sliding on wet skin as the skin dries up, can be explained as resulting from the increase in the contact area arising from the attraction of capillary bridges. This effect is predicted to operate as long as the water layer is thinner than ～14 μm, which is in good agreement with the time period (of order 100 s) over which the enhanced friction is observed (it takes about 100 s for ～14 μm water to evaporate at 50% relative humidity and at room temperature). We calculate the dependency of the sliding friction coefficient on the sliding speed on lubricated surfaces (Stribeck curve). We show that sliding of a sphere and of a cylinder gives very similar results if the radius and load on the sphere and cylinder are appropriately related. When applied to skin the calculated Stribeck curve is in good agreement with experiment, except that the curve is shifted by one velocity-decade to higher velocities than observed experimentally. We explain this by the role of the skin and underlying tissues viscoelasticity on the contact mechanics.     

Cryogenic Friction Behavior of PTFE based Solid Lubricant Composites

Solid lubricants used in aerospace applications must provide low friction and a predictable operation life over an extreme range of temperatures, environments and contact conditions. PTFE and PTFE composites have shown favorable tribological performance as solid lubricants. This study evaluates the effect of temperature on the friction coefficient of neat PTFE, a PTFE/PEEK composite and an expanded PTFE (ePTFE)/epoxy coating. These experiments evaluate friction coefficient over a temperature span which, to the investigators’ knowledge, has not been previously examined. Results show a monotonic increase in friction coefficient as sample surface temperature was decreased from 317 to 173 K for all three samples. The frictional performance of these and other published solid lubricant polymers was modeled using an adjusted Arrhenius equation, which correlates the coefficient of friction of the polymer materials to their viscoelastic behavior. A model fit of all the polymer data from 173 to 450 K gives an activation energy of 3.7 kJ/mol. This value suggests that breaking of van der Waals bonds is the likely mechanism responsible for the frictional behavior over this temperature range.     

Tribology of Skin: Review and Analysis of Experimental Results for the Friction Coefficient of Human Skin

In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on the tribology of human skin and present an analysis of the available experimental results for skin friction coefficients. Starting with an overview on the factors influencing the friction behaviour of skin, we discuss the up-to-date existing experimental data and compare the results for different anatomical skin areas and friction measurement techniques. For this purpose, we also estimated and analysed skin contact pressures applied during the various friction measurements. The detailed analyses show that substantial variations are a characteristic feature of friction coefficients measured for skin and that differences in skin hydration are the main cause thereof, followed by the influences of surface and material properties of the contacting materials. When the friction coefficients of skin are plotted as a function of the contact pressure, the majority of the literature data scatter over a wide range that can be explained by the adhesion friction model. The case of dry skin is reflected by relatively low and pressure-independent friction coefficients (greater than 0.2 and typically around 0.5), comparable to the dry friction of solids with rough surfaces. In contrast, the case of moist or wet skin is characterised by significantly higher (typically >1) friction coefficients that increase strongly with decreasing contact pressure and are essentially determined by the mechanical shear properties of wet skin. In several studies, effects of skin deformation mechanisms contributing to the total friction are evident from friction coefficients increasing with contact pressure. However, the corresponding friction coefficients still lie within the range delimited by the adhesion friction model. Further research effort towards the analysis of the microscopic contact area and mechanical properties of the upper skin layers is needed to improve our so far limited understanding of the complex tribological behaviour of human skin.     

皮肤-纺织品的摩擦特性试验研究

为了定量研究纺织品与人体皮肤之间的摩擦特性,采用微观摩擦试验机对4种织物与20位男女手臂前臂皮肤之间的摩擦因数进行测试。结果表明:皮肤-织物的平均摩擦因数在0.30~0.50之间,其中男性皮肤-织物的平均摩擦因数在0.30~0.36之间,女性皮肤-织物的平均摩擦因数在0.40~0.50之间。织物表面特征,如表面形状、纹理特点、组织结构、平整度、致密度和弹性等,以及纤维本身的表面特征,是织物表面摩擦特性存在差异的根本原因。4种织物的平均摩擦因数由高到低分别为全毛绒面呢、羊皮、真丝绸和本色平纹棉布,其中丝绸和平纹棉布的平均摩擦因数比较接近;在与不同纺织品摩擦时,女性皮肤-织物的平均摩擦因数普遍比男性高。     

不同填料氟橡胶复合材料高温性能研究

为提高氟橡胶(FKM)高温性能,在FKM中分别加入相同质量分数的聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)、气相二氧化硅(SiO2)、纳米氧化锌(Nano-ZnO),采用机械共混法制备3种FKM复合材料;研究常温和160℃高温下3种填料对FKM复合材料力学性能的影响,结合三维形貌和扫描电镜微观形貌,分析FKM复合材料的摩擦磨损机制。结果表明:PTFE填料降低了FKM材料的力学性能,但可提高其高温摩擦性能;Nano-ZnO填料可提高FKM材料常温力学性能,但对高温力学及摩擦性能没有明显改善;Silica填料可显著改善FKM材料常温与高温条件下的抗磨减摩、抗拉伸撕裂等特性;160℃试验条件下,Silica填料可使FKM材料的拉伸强度提高31%,撕裂强度提高142%,摩擦因数降低52%,磨损量减少36.4%;在FKM中添加Silica可提高基体强度,高温摩擦时形成熔融层,使复合材料具有优异的耐磨性能。     

Tribological Properties of PTFE and PTFE Composites at Different Temperatures

The friction and wear properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and its composites with fillers such as bronze, glass fiber, carbon fiber, carbon, graphite, and polymer were studied at ambient temperature and high temperature. The wear resistance and hardness were enhanced by the fillers. Results showed that the wear resistance of all composites was much higher than that of pure PTFE. Pure PTFE has the lowest friction coefficient at ambient temperature (temperature: 23 ± 2°C, humidity: 50 ± 10%) but highest friction coefficient at high temperature (above 100°C). The PTFE composite filled with bronze showed the best wear resistance at ambient temperature but the poorest wear resistance at high temperature. The carbon-graphite- or polymer-filled PTFE composite showed a lower friction coefficient and moderate wear resistance at both ambient and high temperature.     

Development of a Synthetic Skin Simulant Platform for the Investigation of Dermal Blistering Mechanics

Excessive frictional loading to the skin often results in the formation of blisters, due to the transmission of shear loading to the interfaces between dermal cell strata. The consequences of blistering range from mild discomfort to serious infection. In some patients, such as those disposed to epidermolysis bullosa or neuropathic diabetes, blisters can severely degrade life quality. Investigation of environmental and application parameters that affect blister formation has occurred primarily as a qualitative, observational pursuit on human subjects, which has often led to confounding of data and lack of repeatability. The authors have developed a Synthetic Skin Simulant Platform (3SP) that reproduces the mechanical behavior of human skin when exposed to tribological loading. The platform is an assembled construct of bonded elastomeric layers that act as surrogates for the epidermis, basement membrane, dermis, and subdermal structure. Epidermal (top layer) materials are typically silicone or polyurethane films with a friction coefficient akin to human skin, while sublayers display mechanical properties similar to their anatomical analogs. Blistering is evident optically by examining the separation voids formed after applying shear loads to the epidermal layer. The 3SP has been used in a two-axis pin-on-flat tribometer with a stainless steel indenter to study the normal load and friction coefficients encountered at the onset of frictional blistering. The 3SP allows for modulation of friction coefficient, interfacial adhesion strength, and subdermal stiffness for investigation of blistering damage to various anatomical sites. Experimental results have been compared to human test data and have shown that the 3SP provides the potential to make significant advances with respect to skin tribology research.     

聚四氟乙烯基固体润滑剂结晶度、冷却工艺及摩擦性能相关性研究

采用X-射线衍射仪对3种冷却工艺下的纯聚四氟乙烯结晶度进行了表征，对3种冷却工艺条件下的纯聚四氟乙烯及固体润滑剂试样进行了摩擦磨损试验，分析了聚四氟乙烯结晶度、冷却工艺与摩擦性能的关系。试验结果表明：纯聚四氟乙烯空气冷却工艺条件下的结晶度相对较大，随炉冷却时相对较小，水冷却时居中；纯PTFE随炉冷却样品的摩擦因数最大，水冷与空气冷却的摩擦因数相近；磨损量则空气冷却时较大，随炉冷却与水冷却相近；在聚四氟乙烯树脂中加入各种助剂的固体润滑剂的摩擦磨损试验结果与纯聚四氟乙烯的试验结果相近。     

聚四氟乙烯及其石墨和MoS2填充复合材料的摩擦学性能研究

利用往复式摩擦磨损实验机,对聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)及石墨和MoS2填充的PTFE复合材料的摩擦磨损性能进行了实验,考察了载荷、速度以及对摩时间的影响,并利用光学显微镜对PTFE复合材料的摩擦磨损表面进行了观察。结果表明,填加了石墨和MoS2的PTFE,由于石墨和MoS2一方面起到了润滑作用,另一方面阻止了PTFE带状大面积破坏,因而使得PTFE的摩擦因数降低,耐磨性提高。加入石墨和MoS2后PTFE的磨损机制由以犁沟效应和粘着磨损为主变为以磨粒磨损为主。     

Tribo-investigation on PTFE lubricated PEEK in harsh operating conditions

A series of blends with Polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) powder and Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) was developed by varying the PTFE contents in steps of 5 wt.% from 0 to 20 wt.%. The composites were evaluated for their friction and wear properties at room temperature as well as high temperature in low amplitude oscillating wear (LAOW) mode against steel (100 Cr 6) ball against polymer plate. The same blends were also evaluated in abrasive wear mode to study the influence of harsh operating conditions on wear and friction performance. Incorporation of PTFE benefited PEEK in various ways such as it increased the tribo-utility of the latter by increasing its limiting load value, removing its stick-slip tendency, lowering coefficient of friction and specific wear rate significantly. With increase in PTFE content, benefits to the wear performance increased regularly. This was not the case for friction coefficient. Lowest μ was recorded for 15% PTFE contents. The enhancement in wear and friction performance, however, was at the cost of strength properties which decreased substantially with increase in PTFE content. At 100 °C, friction coefficient and wear rates of all blends increased marginally. In abrasive wear mode, on the other hand, PTFE filled PEEK showed poorer wear resistance than neat PEEK. This was correlated with strength properties and it was observed that these blends closely followed the predictions of Ratner–Lancaster plot. SEM was used to examine the micro-structural features of worn surfaces.     

多因素影响的格莱圈材料摩擦磨损试验研究*

格莱圈由聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)矩形滑环和丁腈橡胶(NBR)O形圈组成。为了研究不同因素对于格莱圈密封材料摩擦磨损性能的影响,利用UMT-3多功能摩擦磨损试验机,通过改变往复频率、粗糙度、润滑状态研究格莱圈材料与45钢配副时的摩擦磨损性能,利用SEM对试块试验前后表面形貌进行观测,并对摩擦磨损机制进行分析。试验结果表明:在干摩擦和滴油润滑条件下PTFE材料相比NBR材料具有更为优异的摩擦磨损性能;NBR材料表面粗糙度过高或过低都会导致摩擦因数升高,表面粗糙度对具有自润滑性能的PTFE材料的摩擦因数影响不大;高往复频率会使NBR材料摩擦因数降低,过高或过低的往复频率都会使PTFE材料摩擦因数降低;NBR材料的磨损形式以磨粒磨损和黏着磨损为主,PTFE材料以黏着磨损和疲劳磨损为主。     

The friction and wear properties of polytetrafluoroethylene filled with ultrafine diamond

The friction and wear properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filled with ultrafine diamond (UFD) were studied in detail on a block-on-ring wear tester under dry sliding conditions. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to research microstructure of the purchased UFD and the purified UFD. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were utilized to investigate material microstructures and examine modes of failure. Experimental results showed that there was no significant change in coefficient of friction, but the wear rate of the PTFE composite was orders of magnitude less than that of pure PTFE with increasing purified UFD content. Analysis of SEM indicated UFD in PTFE matrix had effects of loading-carry and increasing formation of transfer films on the steel counterpart surface as well as inhabiting generation of bigger debris. Furthermore, DSC disclosed that the PTFE composite with higher heat absorption capacity exhibited improved wear resistance. Wear mechanism was probably that UFD particles had a function of rolling bearing in frictional interface, and resulted in change of PTFE frictional form from single macromolecular sliding friction to a mixed form of sliding and rolling friction, accordingly UFD in PTFE could obviously decrease wear of pure PTFE.     

PTFE基复合材料海水润滑下的摩擦学性能研究

研究碳纤维/聚四氟乙烯（CF/PTFE）、玻璃纤维/聚四氟乙烯（GF/PTFE）复合材料与氮化硅陶瓷配副在海水环境下的摩擦学性能与润滑机制,分析滑动速度对摩擦副海水润滑性能的影响规律。结果表明：在海水润滑条件下,随着滑动速度的增加,PTFE、CF/PTFE、GF/PTFE材料与Si3N4陶瓷配副时的摩擦学性能均有明显改善,摩擦因数与磨损率均呈显著降低的趋势,其中CF/PTFE复合材料表现出更为优异的摩擦学性能,在1 000 r/min滑动速度下摩擦因数低至0.026。磨损表面表征结果表明,在海水润滑条件下,PTFE基复合材料在摩擦过程中由于摩擦化学反应生成了润滑膜,可为摩擦副提供良好的润滑和减磨作用,从而减少摩擦磨损行为的发生。     

Fabrication,Characterisation and Tribological Investigation of Artificial Skin Surface Lipid Films

This article deals with the tribology of lipid coatings that resemble those found on human skin. In order to simulate the lipidic surface chemistry of human skin, an artificial sebum formulation that closely resembles human sebum was spray-coated onto mechanical skin models in physiologically relevant concentrations (5–100 μg/cm²). Water contact angles and surface free energies (SFEs) showed that model surfaces with ≤25 μg/cm² lipids appropriately mimic the physico-chemical properties of dry, sebum-poor skin regions. In friction experiments with a steel ball, lipid-coated model surfaces demonstrated lubrication effects over a wide range of sliding velocities and normal loads. In friction measurements on model surfaces as a function of lipid-film thickness, a clear minimum in the friction coefficient (COF) was observed in the case of hydrophilic, high-SFE materials (steel, glass), with the lowest COF (≈0.5) against skin model surfaces being found at 25 μg/cm² lipids. For hydrophobic, low-SFE polymers, the COF was considerably lower (0.4 for PP, 0.16 for PTFE) and relatively independent of the lipid amount, indicating that both the mechanical and surface-chemical properties of the sliders strongly influence the friction behaviour of the skin-model surfaces. Lipid-coated skin models might be a valuable tool not only for tribologists but also for cosmetic chemists, in that they allow the objective study of friction, adhesion and wetting behaviour of liquids and emulsions on simulated skin-surface conditions.     

Friction Coefficient Measurement of an In Vivo Murine Cornea

Ocular tear film mucins and lipids promote lubricity of the corneal surface during ocular movements. The mechanisms of this lubricity are difficult to model and to measure due to the delicate nature of the film itself and the conditions under which it exists. This study describes a kinetic friction coefficient measured between a glass probe and a living mouse eye. A portable custom micro-tribometer was used to prescribe sliding motions and record normal and frictional forces. Friction coefficient measured over both sliding directions resulted in µ = 0.068 under a pressure of approximately 12 kPa. In vivo measurements may enhance the understanding of corneal friction response, as well as provide an empirical friction coefficient for more complex mechanical models.     

A Nickel-Alloy-Based High-Temperature Self-Lubricating Composite with Simultaneously Superior Lubricity and High Strength

It is a challenge to design self-lubricating materials that exhibit and maintain reduced friction coefficient as well as high strength over a wide range of temperatures. A high-temperature self-lubricating nickel-alloy-based composite was created using the hot pressing technique. The composite exhibited high relative density, and simultaneously superior lubricating properties, average friction coefficient below 0.25 from room temperature to 800 °C, and high strength, 470 MPa of tensile strength and 1500 MPa of compressive strength. The composite was very promising in high-temperature tribology.     

Skin Microstructure is a Key Contributor to Its Friction Behaviour

Due to its multifactorial nature, skin friction remains a multiphysics and multiscale phenomenon poorly understood despite its relevance for many biomedical and engineering applications (from superficial pressure ulcers, through shaving and cosmetics, to automotive safety and sports equipment). For example, it is unclear whether, and in which measure, the skin microscopic surface topography, internal microstructure and associated nonlinear mechanics can condition and modulate skin friction. This study addressed this question through the development of a parametric finite element contact homogenisation procedure which was used to study and quantify the effect of the skin microstructure on the macroscopic skin frictional response. An anatomically realistic two-dimensional image-based multilayer finite element model of human skin was used to simulate the sliding of rigid indenters of various sizes over the skin surface. A corresponding structurally idealised multilayer skin model was also built for comparison purposes. Microscopic friction specified at skin asperity or microrelief level was an input to the finite element computations. From the contact reaction force measured at the sliding indenter, a homogenised (or apparent) macroscopic friction was calculated. Results demonstrated that the naturally complex geometry of the skin microstructure and surface topography alone can play as significant role in modulating the deformation component of macroscopic friction and can significantly increase it. This effect is further amplified as the ground-state Young’s modulus of the stratum corneum is increased (for example, as a result of a dryer environment). In these conditions, the skin microstructure is a dominant factor in the deformation component of macroscopic friction, regardless of indenter size or specified local friction properties. When the skin is assumed to be an assembly of nominally flat layers, the resulting global coefficient of friction is reduced with respect to the local one. This seemingly counter-intuitive effect had already been demonstrated in a recent computational study found in the literature. Results also suggest that care should be taken when assigning a coefficient of friction in computer simulations, as it might not reflect the conditions of microscopic and macroscopic friction one intends to represent. The modelling methodology and simulation tools developed in this study go beyond what current analytical models of skin friction can offer: the ability to accommodate arbitrary kinematics (i.e. finite deformations), nonlinear constitutive properties and the complex geometry of the skin microstructural constituents. It was demonstrated how this approach offered a new level of mechanistic insight into plausible friction mechanisms associated with purely structural effects operating at the microscopic scale; the methodology should be viewed as complementary to physical experimental protocols characterising skin friction as it may facilitate the interpretation of observations and measurements and/or could also assist in the design of new experimental quantitative assays.     

水润滑下316L不锈钢与聚醚醚酮摩擦磨损性能研究

为了寻找适合于水液压泵/马达的摩擦副材料,以316 L不锈钢与纯聚醚醚酮树脂、30%玻璃纤维增强PEEK(PEEKGF30)、30%碳纤维增强PEEK(PEEKCA30),PTFE和石墨及碳纤维填充PEEK(PEEKHPV)组成的摩擦副为研究对象,利用MMW-1立式万能摩擦磨损试验机测量摩擦副在水润滑下接触表面的摩擦因数和温度以及试样的磨损量,并通过激光共聚焦显微镜对试件表面磨损形貌进行分析。结果表明:316 L-PEEKHPV摩擦副的摩擦因数、摩擦温升、磨损量均小于其余3组摩擦副,适合作为水液压泵/马达的关键摩擦副材料。316 L不锈钢与PEEKGF30配对时,摩擦机制为涂抹和擦伤,磨损较为严重;与PEEKCA30配对时,摩擦机制为擦伤;与PEEKHPV配对时摩擦机制主要为划伤,磨损较为轻微。     

Effect of temperature on the friction and wear of heat-resistant polymer-based composites

The friction and wear of polyether sulphone (PES: ‘Victrex’-ICI), polyether etherketone (PEEK: ICI), polyamide-imide (PAI: Torlon'-Amoco) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites were measured at a constant sliding speed and under a constant load at various temperatures up to 300 °C by rubbing against a steel disc. The frictions of the composites, except for some PAI composites, were generally little dependent upon temperature over a wide range of temperature. PTFE filler was effective in reducing the wear of composites at high temperatures. However, the addition of various fibres to the composites was not effective at high temperatures. The wear of PAI composites increased rapidly with increasing temperature and thus their temperature variations were considerably greater than those of the other composites. The wear of PTFE containing ‘Econol’ E–1 OI, a polyoxybenzylene nomo-polymer (Sumitomo Chemical Co.) and graphite was similar to that of the PEEK composite containing PTFE, and their wear rates were remarkably low over a wide range of temperature. The wear-reducing mechanisms of PTFE and ‘Econol’ fillers are discussed on the basis of microscopic examinations of the frictional surfaces.