Friction evolution as a result of roughness in fractal interfaces

In this paper, the influence of fractal interface geometry to the evolution of the friction mechanism is studied. The paper is based on fractal approaches for the modeling of the multiscale self‐affine topography of these interfaces. More specifically, these approaches are based on scale‐independent parameters such as the fractal dimension. Here, friction between rough surfaces is assumed to be the result of the gradual plastification of the fractal interface asperities. In order to study the resulting highly nonlinear problem a variational formulation is used in order to describe contact between the interfaces. The numerical method used here leads to the successive solution of quadratic optimization problems. Finally, structures with different fractal interfaces are analyzed in order to obtain results for the relation between the fractal dimension and the overall response of the structures.