High Density Sliding at Ta/Al and Al/Al Interfaces

We present 3D-nonequilibrium molecular dynamics results for the velocity dependence of the frictional force at smooth sliding interfaces for Ta and Al single crystals. For Ta/Al we consider Al(100)/Ta(100) and Al(111)/Ta(110) interfaces sliding along [001] and [11(bar sign)0]fcc /[001]bcc respectively. These are compared with Al(111)/Al(100) interfaces at the same loads, corresponding to a pressure of 15 GPa. Both interfacial pairs show similar behavior in the velocity dependence of the frictional force: a low velocity regime with an increasing frictional force followed by a strain induced transformation regime at velocities above approximately 1/10 the transverse sound speed, followed by a fluidized interface at high velocities. For both interfacial pairs, the high velocity dependence of the frictional force exhibits power law behavior, Ft ∝ v-β with β=3/4. We discuss the structural changes that influence dissipation in each of these regimes