Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction
The long-accepted theory to explain why snow is slippery postulates self-lubrication: frictional heat from sliding melts and thereby lubricates the contacting snow grains. We recently published micro-scale interface observations that contradicted this explanation: contacting snow grains abraded and...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143018000977/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811155833773359104 |
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| author | JAMES H. LEVER SUSAN TAYLOR GARRETT R. HOCH CHARLES DAGHLIAN |
| author_facet | JAMES H. LEVER SUSAN TAYLOR GARRETT R. HOCH CHARLES DAGHLIAN |
| author_sort | JAMES H. LEVER |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The long-accepted theory to explain why snow is slippery postulates self-lubrication: frictional heat from sliding melts and thereby lubricates the contacting snow grains. We recently published micro-scale interface observations that contradicted this explanation: contacting snow grains abraded and did not melt under a polyethylene slider, despite low friction values. Here we provide additional observational and theoretical evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction. We obtained coordinated infrared, visible-light and scanning-electron micrographs that confirm that the evolving shapes observed during our tribometer tests are contacting snow grains polished by abrasion, and that the wear particles can sinter together and fill the adjacent pore spaces. Furthermore, dry-contact abrasive wear reasonably predicts the evolution of snow-slider contact area, and sliding-heat-source theory confirms that contact temperatures would not reach 0°C during our tribometer tests. Importantly, published measurements of interface temperatures also indicate that melting did not occur during field tests on sleds and skis. Although prevailing theory anticipates a transition from dry to lubricated contact along a slider, we suggest that dry-contact abrasion and heat flow can prevent this transition from occurring for snow-friction scenarios of practical interest. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:41:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4ead8268c944c3597f2522e94e87fd8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:41:19Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4ead8268c944c3597f2522e94e87fd82023-03-09T12:40:42ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522019-02-0165688410.1017/jog.2018.97Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic frictionJAMES H. LEVER0SUSAN TAYLOR1GARRETT R. HOCH2CHARLES DAGHLIAN3Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, NH 03755, USACold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, NH 03755, USACold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Hanover, NH 03755, USADartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USAThe long-accepted theory to explain why snow is slippery postulates self-lubrication: frictional heat from sliding melts and thereby lubricates the contacting snow grains. We recently published micro-scale interface observations that contradicted this explanation: contacting snow grains abraded and did not melt under a polyethylene slider, despite low friction values. Here we provide additional observational and theoretical evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction. We obtained coordinated infrared, visible-light and scanning-electron micrographs that confirm that the evolving shapes observed during our tribometer tests are contacting snow grains polished by abrasion, and that the wear particles can sinter together and fill the adjacent pore spaces. Furthermore, dry-contact abrasive wear reasonably predicts the evolution of snow-slider contact area, and sliding-heat-source theory confirms that contact temperatures would not reach 0°C during our tribometer tests. Importantly, published measurements of interface temperatures also indicate that melting did not occur during field tests on sleds and skis. Although prevailing theory anticipates a transition from dry to lubricated contact along a slider, we suggest that dry-contact abrasion and heat flow can prevent this transition from occurring for snow-friction scenarios of practical interest.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143018000977/type/journal_articleabrasionhigh-resolution thermographyscanning-electron microscopysliding frictionsliding heat sourcetribologywear |
| spellingShingle | JAMES H. LEVER SUSAN TAYLOR GARRETT R. HOCH CHARLES DAGHLIAN Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction Journal of Glaciology abrasion high-resolution thermography scanning-electron microscopy sliding friction sliding heat source tribology wear |
| title | Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction |
| title_full | Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction |
| title_fullStr | Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction |
| title_short | Evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction |
| title_sort | evidence that abrasion can govern snow kinetic friction |
| topic | abrasion high-resolution thermography scanning-electron microscopy sliding friction sliding heat source tribology wear |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143018000977/type/journal_article |
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