A Study of Correlation Between Rolling and Linear Friction for Tire Tread Compounds

Tire friction tests depend on various environmental and testing conditions such as road conditions, temperature, vehicle weight, and driving conditions. These variables limit the fundamental understanding of the correlation between tire characteristics and friction behaviors. Therefore, a theoretical approach to friction between tread compounds and road surfaces is required as a first step in understanding tire friction mechanisms. The test methods for tread compounds typically include sliding and rolling friction tests. However, rolling friction tests face difficulties in characterizing high-speed friction behaviors and are significantly affected by heat and wear during testing, making it challenging to apply friction theories for detailed analysis. Despite these difficulties, rolling friction tests are crucial for analyzing tire rolling resistance and braking performances. This paper employs the Kl & uuml;ppel & Heinrich friction theory to sliding friction and investigates the correlation between sliding and rolling friction. Through the friction theory, quantitative contributions of adhesion and hysteresis friction mechanisms are identified across a wide slip velocity range. As a result, the correlation between sliding and rolling friction showed a high coefficient of determination, above 0.876. These findings confirm that rolling friction behaviors in high-speed regions can be predicted through sliding friction master curves, as well as the contributions of adhesion and hysteresis friction, which are significant on rough and dry surfaces. This study has the potential to impact tread compound design for tunable tire friction behaviors.