ABSTRACT
The friction coefficient of rubber sliding against different types of flooring materials of different surface roughness was investigated under different sliding conditions: dry, water, water/detergent dilution, oil, water/oil dilution. The flooring materials are parquet, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), epoxy, marble, cement and ceramic. Surface roughness variations do take place by continuous rubbing during the life time of the flooring.
Based on the experiments, it was found out that at dry sliding, friction coefficient decreased with increasing surface roughness. Epoxy displayed relatively higher friction than parquet and PVC, while cement tiles gave the highest friction coefficient. Ceramic showed relatively lower friction values than marble and cement. In the presence of water on the sliding surface, friction coefficient slightly increased up to maximum then decreased with increasing surface roughness. Parquet displayed the highest friction coefficient followed by PVC and epoxy. At higher roughness marble tiles gave the highest friction. Ceramic showed the lowest friction among the tested floorings.
Sliding of rubber against water/detergent wetted tiles caused drastic decrease of friction coefficient. Parquet displayed the highest friction values followed by cement and marble. PVC, epoxy and ceramic represented relatively lower friction values.At oil lubricated sliding of flooring materials, friction coefficient slightly increased up to maximum then decreased with increasing surface roughness of the flooring materials. Hard floorings such as marble and ceramic showed friction increase with increasing surface roughness. Parquet and cement tiles showed the relatively highest friction. Finally, sliding of rubber against water/oil dilution wetted floorings caused significant decrease in friction coefficient. Parquet and cement tiles still displayed the highest friction.