Understandingthecontactmechanismisimperativetoestablish
an accuratemodelofslidingsystems.Forconventionalmetallic
materials,anumberoftheoriesconsideringtheelastic,plastic,and
elasto-plasticdeformationsofcontactingasperitieshavebeen
establishedtoexplainthecontactmechanismbytheoretically
predictingthetotalareaofrealcontactregions [3–8]. Someof
thesetheoriesdescribethetotalareaofrealcontactregions Areal as
linearlyincreasingwiththenormalloadW, i.e., ArealpW. Therefore,
assumingthatthefrictionforce F canbederivedastheproductof
thetotalareaofcontact Areal andtheshearstrength τ, the
independenceofthenormalload FZ withregardtothefriction
coefficient μ canbederived: μ¼F/W¼τAreal/Wpτ.
Thecontactmechanismforrubberfrictionissignificantly
differentfromthatforothersolidmaterials.Anumberofsmall
contactingasperitieswithinanapparentcontactregioncaneasily