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Superlubric polycrystalline graphene interfaces

Physics

Superlubric polycrystalline graphene interfaces

X. Gao, W. Ouyang, et al.

This research by Xiang Gao, Wengen Ouyang, Michael Urbakh, and Oded Hod delves into the fascinating frictional behavior of graphitic contacts with polycrystalline surfaces, uncovering a surprising non-linear relationship between friction, normal load, and temperature. Using a novel two-state model, it offers insights that could potentially enable superlubricity at larger scales.

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Playback language: English
Abstract
This research investigates the frictional properties of extended planar graphitic contacts with polycrystalline surfaces using molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations reveal that kinetic friction is primarily determined by shear-induced buckling and unbuckling of corrugated grain boundary dislocations, resulting in a non-monotonic relationship between friction and normal load/temperature. A phenomenological two-state model effectively captures these effects, enabling the characterization of tribological properties in large-scale polycrystalline layered interfaces without extensive atomistic simulations. The observed negative differential friction coefficients at high loads can mitigate the typical linear scaling of grain-boundary friction with surface area, potentially restoring superlubricity at larger length scales.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Sep 28, 2021
Authors
Xiang Gao, Wengen Ouyang, Michael Urbakh, Oded Hod
Tags
friction
molecular dynamics
graphitic contacts
polycrystalline surfaces
tribological properties
shear-induced buckling
superlubricity
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