Friction analysis of anisotropic surface for viscoelastic material

Purpose The anisotropic surfaces of viscoelastic materials play a role in sliding friction; the purpose of this paper is to study the effect of the anisotropic surfaces on contact area and the friction coefficient. Design/methodology/approach A complex elastic modulus and an anisotropic power spectrum are used to compute the coefficient of friction based on the extension Persson theory which considers the partial contact and the variation in the roughness slopes. Findings The ratios of the relative contact area that varies with velocity are obtained with different angles and eccentricities, and the effect of the elastic modulus needs to be considered. The coefficients of the friction parallel to the direction of motion decrease as the angle increases, or as the eccentricity decreases. The friction coefficients in the vertical direction change irregularly when the angles or eccentricities increase. Originality/value An extension of Persson's work considering the partial contact and the effective mean square slope of the roughness is applied to study sliding friction, and the effect of the elastic modulus on contact area is considered.