Evaluating surface texturing technologies of rubber composites on ice using a novel high-velocity tribotest method

Abstract

This study presents a high-velocity tribotest using Bruker UMT Tribolab to evaluate the ice traction of rubber composites. Lab-scale tribotests are essential for developing anti-slip materials for footwear. Reciprocating and rotational movements were studied on ice, along with the physical phenomena influencing friction, optimizing dwell time and load control parameters. GF-TPU composites and commercial winter boots (Green Diamond® and Arctic Grip Vibram®) were tested for validation. The addition of 10 wt% glass fibers to TPU increased static friction by 300 % and kinetic friction by 400 %, enhancing stick-slip behavior. SiC-based texturing in Green Diamond composites improved static friction by 160 % and kinetic friction by 970 %. Arctic Grip samples showed a 440 % increase in static friction and over 1000 % in kinetic friction.