Dry friction of microstructured polymer surfaces inspired by snake skin

• Martina J. Baum,
• Lars Heepe,
• Elena Fadeeva and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1091–1103, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.122

• microstructure investigated in this study was inspired by the anisotropic microornamentation of scales from the ventral body side of the California King Snake (Lampropeltis getula californiae). Frictional properties of snake-inspired microstructured polymer surface (SIMPS) made of epoxy resin were characterised

• using epoxy resin polymer surfaces for tribological investigations, we gained the opportunity to transfer the snake skin microstructure and other types of surface topographies into a well defined material by using two-step moulding technique [35]. Snake-inspired microstructured polymer surface (SIMPS

• , and 100 µm (Figure 3c). The fourth type of surfaces was inspired by the microornamentation of the ventral scales of the snake L. g. californiae (snake-inspired microstructured polymer surface, SIMPS) (Figure 3d). The masters were produced by the Leonhard Kurz Group Stiftung & Co. (Fürth, Germany) by

Friction behavior of a microstructured polymer surface inspired by snake skin

• Martina J. Baum,
• Lars Heepe and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 83–97, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.8

• of the biological model, Lampropeltis getula californiae, the California King Snake, on the friction behavior. For this purpose, we compared snake-inspired anisotropic microstructured surfaces to other microstructured surfaces with isotropic and anisotropic geometry. To exclude that the friction

• ; friction; polymer; snake inspired; stick-slip; Introduction The absence of extremities in snakes has strong tribological consequences for the material of their skin. The ventral body side of the snake is in continuous contact with the substrate. Therefore ventral scales must have optimized frictional

• morphological data [17], snake-inspired microstructured polymer surfaces (SIMPS) [18] were developed (Figure 1c). Such an implementation of the surface geometry, similar to biological microstructures of the snake, into a mechanically and chemically well-defined polymeric material, epoxy resin [19], enabled us a