Sliding Friction at a Rubber/Brush Interface

We study the friction of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) rubber network sliding, at low velocity, on a substrate on which PDMS chains are end-tethered. We thus clearly evidence the contribution to friction of the pull-out mechanism of chain-ends that penetrate into the network. This interfacial dissipative process is systematically investigated by probing the velocity dependence of the friction stress and its variations with the grafting density and molecular weight of the tethered chains. This allows us to confirm semi-quantitatively the picture of arm retraction relaxation of the grafted chains proposed in models of slippage at a network/brush interface.