Friction of rubber on ice: A new machine, influence of rubber properties and sliding parameters

Friction of rubber on ice and snow is important for performance of vehicle tyres in winter. We introduce a new linear tribometer that was designed for measuring the friction of rubber on ice. We present a systematic study of rubber sliding on ice, investigating speed, load, temperature and rubber properties. The friction was linked to behaviour at the interface, particularly melt–water formation and real area of contact. Friction tends to decrease with conditions that promote melt–water formation, and tends to increase as real area of contact increases. We observe stick-slip behaviour with high real area of contact and high load.