Proceedings of WTC2005
World Tribology Congress III
QUANTIFYING THE EFFECT OF LUBRICANT ELASTICITY
ON MICRO TEXTURED SURFACES
Hupp, S.J., and Hart, D.P.
Hatsopoulos Microfluids Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA, USA
ABSTRACT
An experimental study is performed on micro textured
surfaces using both elastic and Newtonian fluids in order
to understand the effect of fluid rheology on the sliding
friction of textured surfaces. Nickel micro textured
surfaces containing 50 to 125 micron diameter pores and
1 to 20 percent area densities of pores are friction tested
using a triborheometer, and the resulting data is examined
using a Stribeck diagram. This research reveals that the
Stribeck curve will experience a shift according to the
lubricant elasticity, and that shift is independent of the
texturing parameters. By modifying the Gumbel number
to form a new dimensionless parameter, the effect of
lubricant elasticity is normalized for all surfaces.
1. INTRODUCTION
Micro texturing a surface by artificially creating
depressions or raised surface features has been shown to
reduce friction under lubricated conditions [1]. While the
effects of size, shape, and depth of the applied micro-
patterns on the resulting friction have been systematically
explored [2-4], the effect of lubricant rheology and the
resulting lubricant/texture interaction has received very
little attention. Specifically, viscoelastic lubricants have a
characteristic natural frequency, but the effect of that
particular frequency on pattern frequencies of applied
micro texturing has not previously been studied.
In the present work, we investigate the Stribeck curves
of both Newtonian and weakly viscoelastic lubricants on
micro textured surfaces. Experiments are performed on
textured nickel surfaces with features ranging from 50 to
125 microns in diameter and feature area densities of 1 to
15 percent. We investigate the hydrodynamic through
boundary lubrication regimes to determine how lubricant
elasticity interacts with surface micro texturing and the
resulting friction profile.
2. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS
Sliding friction experiments were performed on a
triborheometer, which consists of a torsional rheometer
with a flat plate geometry rotating parallel to a stationary
textured surface using an interfacial lubricant [5]. The
1 Copyright © 2005 by ASME
September 12-16, 2005, Washington, D.C., USA
Proceedings of WTC2005
World Tribology Congress III
September 12-16, 2005, Washington, D.C., USA
WTC2005-64074
WTC2005-64074
textured experimental surfaces were fabricated using
photolithography techniques combined with electroless
nickel plating [6], and the texture patterns were selected
based on the results of previous researchers [2-4].
Once the surfaces were prepared, they were friction
tested using the triborheometer. In order to determine the
sliding friction and create a complete Stribeck diagram for
this study, an angular velocity sweep of the rotating
parallel plate is performed. The normal force between the
surfaces is set at a constant 15N, and the velocity is swept
from 0.001 rad/s to 200 rad/s, allowing the interfacial gap
to vary as needed to maintain the normal force.
STP Oil Additive, a weakly viscoelastic fluid, and
PDMS solution, a Newtonian fluid, were used to
determine the effect of fluid elasticity on the surface-fluid
interaction for micro textured surfaces. The experimental
procedure described above was used for both the
Newtonian and viscoelastic lubricants.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Data was collected for each surface/lubricant pair, and
each textured surface was successfully characterized by
comparing the coefficient of friction, Cf = τ/σ, to the
Gumbel number, Gu = ηΩ/σ, on a Stribeck diagram,
where τ is shear stress, σ is normal stress, η is lubricant
viscosity, and Ω is rotational velocity. Figure 1 shows the
diagrams for two different textured nickel surfaces. For
both surfaces, STP shifts the curve to higher Gumbel
numbers, while the minimum coefficient of friction
remains approximately constant. When comparing the
PDMS and STP lubricants, the Gumbel number considers
viscosity differences between the three fluids, but it does
not account for the elasticity of the STP fluid. Further
testing indicates that the Stribeck shift is not unique to
STP fluid and is shared by other weakly elastic lubricants.
After comparing different textured surfaces, the
magnitude of the curve shift between Newtonian and
viscoelastic lubricants was not found to have any
dependency on the texturing parameters. Instead, the
magnitude depends only on the strength of the fluid
elasticity and is independent of surface texturing
parameters.
 1 elastic properties of the fluid when testing for the
frictional profile.

Friction coefficient, Cf 3. CONCLUSIONS

While lubricant elasticity has a significant effect on
0.1
sliding friction compared to Newtonian lubricants, this
effect is independent of surface micro texturing
STP parameters. Using the new modified Gumbel number, the
PDMS Stribeck curve for viscoelastic lubricants on both textured
0.01
and flat surfaces directly correlates with the curve for
1.0E-06 1.0E-05 1.0E-04 1.0E-03 1.0E-02 Newtonian lubricants.
a) Gumbel number, Gu

1
1

Friction coefficient, Cf
Friction coefficient, Cf

0.1
0.1

PDMS
STP
STP
PDMS
0.01
0.01 1.0E-06 1.0E-05 1.0E-04 1.0E-03 1.0E-02

a)
1.0E-06 1.0E-05 1.0E-04 1.0E-03 1.0E-02 Gumbel number, Gu
b) Gumbel number, Gu
1

Figure 1. Constant curve shift: Stribeck diagrams of textured

surfaces: a) 100µm dia. 5% density, b) 50µm dia. 2.5% density Friction coefficient, Cf

pores. For each diagram, the friction profiles are different, but
the curve shift between the two lubricants is the same.
0.1

Because experimental data indicates that the Stribeck

shift of elastic lubricants is independent of texturing
PDMS
parameters, in order to quantify the curve shift only the
STP
differences in fluid properties between elastic and
Newtonian fluids are considered. Unlike Newtonian 0.01
1.0E-06 1.0E-05 1.0E-04 1.0E-03 1.0E-02
fluids, when viscoelastic fluids are sheared a force normal b) Modified Gumbel number, Gu'

to the direction of motion is generated. In order to account

for the additional elastic components of viscoelastic Figure 2. Modified Gu: Stribeck diagrams of 50µm dia. 1%
lubricants in friction testing, an additional elastic term is density textured surfaces using a) Gumbel number b) modified
added to the normal stress component [7], which results in Gumbel number that accounts for elasticity shift in STP fluid.
the Gumbel number of an elastic fluid being re-scaled by
dividing the Gumbel number of the elastic fluid by one 1. Hamilton, D.B., J.A. Walowit, and C.M. Allen, A theory of
plus twice the elasticity number, El: lubrication by micro-irregularities. Trans. ASME Journal of Basic
Engineering, 1966. 88: p. 177-85.
η0 Ω Gu λη 0
Gu ' = = ; El = 2. Wang, X., et al., The effect of laser texturing of SiC surface on the
σ (1 + 2 El ) (1 + 2 El ) ρD 2 critical load for the transition of water lubrication mode from
Here, ρ is the density, λ is relaxation time, and η0 is the hydrodynamic to mixed. Tribology Internat., 2001. 34: p. 703-711.
zero-shear rate viscosity of the fluid. D is the diameter of 3. Brizmer, V., Y. Kligerman, and I. Etsion, A Laser Surface Textured
the testing geometry. This representation of the modified Parallel Thrust Bearing. Tribology Trans., 2003. 46(3): p. 397-403.
Gumbel number allows a single parameter to be used for 4. Geiger, M., S. Roth, and W. Becker, Influence of laser-produced
both Newtonian and non-Newtonian lubricants since the microstructures on the tribological behaviour of ceramics. Surface
elasticity number goes to zero for inelastic fluids. and Coatings Tech, 1998. 100-101: p. 17-22.
Figure 2 shows the Stribeck curves that result from 5. Kavehpour, H.P. and G.H. McKinley, Tribo-rheometry: from gap-
using the original and newly adjusted Gumbel numbers of dependent rheology to tribology. Tribology Letters, 2004. 17(2): p.
the viscoelastic STP fluid and the Newtonian PDMS fluid 327-355.
when tested on a micro textured surface. The modified 6. Hupp, S. and D.P. Hart. Experimental Method for Frictional
Gumbel number successfully shifts the Stribeck curve of Characterization of Micro-Textured Surfaces. in ASME/STLE
the elastic fluid so that it can be compared directly to that International Joint Tribology Conf. 2004. Long Beach, CA.
of the Newtonian fluid. This graph clearly shows that the 7. Bird, R.B., R.C. Armstrong, and O. Hassager, Dynamics of
modified Gumbel number can accurately account for the Polymeric Liquids. 2nd ed. 1987, New York: Wiley.

2 Copyright © 2005 by ASME