Naive model for stick-slip processes

Abstract
This paper is a tutorial description of stick-slip in soft materials (rubber beads, gels) where inertial effects are negligible. A typical example is a rubber sphere, pressed against a glass surface (JKR contact). The sphere is driven from the top at a prescribed velocity U (∼ 100 μm/s). At moderate U (and with suitable surface treatment) a periodic stick-slip regime is often observed. We present a simple picture of the stick-slip cycle, describing the growth of a slip zone from the rear end of the sample, and the resulting plot of force vs. time. All our estimates are restricted to scaling laws.

This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit: