Stick-slip friction: A Monte Carlo study

• A dual-interaction model has been applied in confined thin film lubrication.
• The effects of incomplete energy dissipation are analyzed.
• Sliding velocity and friction show an inversely proportional relationship.
• A molecular interpretation of a confined film order–disorder transitions is provided.

The aim of this study is to analyze the underling molecular mechanics of the stick-slip phenomenon in confined thin films, and its dependence on parameters such as sliding velocity, load, time and temperature. The study was carried out using the kinetic Monte Carlo method, where adhesion hysteresis was explicitly introduced in a one-dimensional simulation model. A dual-interaction potential model was implemented to carry out this work. The results indicate: (i) the importance of adhesion hysteresis to explain the increase in stick-slip frequency (therefore, in sliding velocity); (ii) a consistent dependence behavior of friction in the stick-slip regime with sliding velocity, load, time and temperature; and (iii) a relationship between sliding velocity and static friction of VSliding α1/FStatic.