Yokohama Rubber develops theoretical model for rubber wear on uneven surfaces

Hiratsuka, Japan – Yokohama Rubber Co. (YRC) has developed a theoretical model to predict rubber-wear rates on uneven surfaces and the size distribution of wear particles.

Developed jointly with rubber friction expert Dr Bo Nils Johan Persson, the "first of its kind" model is based on a “multiscale approach to contact mechanics.”

The process, validated by test experiments, accurately estimates wear rates and the size distribution of wear particles generated during friction, YRC reported 20 Feb.

The new model addresses a long-standing challenge in the study of rubber friction and wear, according to the statement.

Road surfaces, explained YRC, exhibit roughness across multiple scales, from nanometres to centimetres, making it difficult to predict how rubber will wear over time.

Model predictions, it said, were tested through experiments measuring rubber wear under both dry and wet conditions at different contact pressures and sliding speeds.

The results, it said, showed that the theoretical model’s predictions of wear-rates (mass loss per unit of sliding distance) and size distribution of wear particles aligned closely with the experimental results.

The Japanese group intends to continue its research with Dr Persson and use the new model to develop tires with “high-level wear resistance.”

Such tires, it noted, will be particularly important for electric vehicles, which generate high levels of tire wear.