Inversion of friction anisotropy in a bio-inspired asymmetrically structured surface.

ABSTRACT: Friction anisotropy is an important property of many surfaces that usually facilitate the generation of motion in a preferred direction. Such surfaces are very common in biological systems and have been the templates for various bio-inspired materials with similar tribological properties. So far friction anisotropy is considered to be the result of an asymmetric arrangement of surface nano- and microstructures. However, here we show by using bio-inspired sawtooth-structured surfaces that the anisotropic friction properties are not only controlled by an asymmetric surface topography, but also by the ratio of the sample-substrate stiffness, the aspect ratio of surface structures, and by the substrate roughness. Systematically modifying these parameters, we were able to demonstrate a broad ra

SUBMITTER: Tramsen HT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5805965 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature