Abstract
Using in situ imaging, we report surface fold formation and fluidlike flow instabilities in sliding of annealed copper. We demonstrate using simulations that folding is principally driven by grain-induced plastic instability. The phenomenon shows remarkable similarities with Kelvin-Helmholtz-type flow instabilities in fluids. While such instabilities have been conjectured to exist in sliding interfaces at the nanoscale, we find vortices and folding in metals at the mesoscale. The occurrence of folds impacts many applications, including surface generation processes and tribology.
- Received 18 June 2012
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.106001
© 2012 American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Surface Folds Make Tears and Chips
Published 4 September 2012
Fluidlike folding instabilities of solid surfaces complicate the machining of metals to perfection
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