Reducing the High Frictions on Carbon Nanotube Films by Applying an Oscillating Motion under Micronewton Loads

Abstract

Under micronewton loads, the high frictions on carbon nanotube (CNT) films (with a friction coefficient of 1.7) were decreased to less than the noise level (which was roughly a friction coefficient of 0.05) by applying an oscillating motion to a cantilever on which a sliding ball was glued. This large decrease of the friction coefficient has been never observed in previous studies. The applied oscillating motion caused the twisting and bending oscillations of the cantilever, which applied the lateral and normal oscillating forces to the sliding ball. The friction force decreased with increasing the oscillating amplitudes of the twisting and bending forces, and the frequency dependences of the friction force reduction was observed.

Keywords

• microtribology
• carbon nanotube films
• oscillating motion
• reducing friction