ABSTRACTRubber mats are used to eliminate slip and fall. Liquid contaminated ceramic surfaces usually promote slips and occasionally lead to serious accidents indoor and in work places. In this particular case, rubber mats are recommended to adhere to the smooth surfaces of ceramics and polymeric flooring. The present work aims to reduce the slip of the rubber mats on ceramic flooring by introducing semispherical cavities into their sliding surface. The effect of semispherical cavities introduced in the rubber flooring mats on the static friction coefficient displayed by their sliding against ceramic flooring under dry, water, water + 5.0 vol. % detergent, oil and water + 5.0 vol. % oil lubricated sliding conditions is investigated. Rubber test specimens were prepared in the form of tiles of 58 x 58 mm square block. Semispherical cavities of 33, 36, 38, 42, 45 and 48 mm diameter were introduced in the rubber block. Two values of the height of the semispherical cavities 5 and 12 mm were tested. Based on the experimental observation, it can be concluded that at dry sliding, smooth rubber displayed the lowest friction, while semispherical cavities showed an increased trend of friction. As the height of the cavity increased friction increased. Friction coefficient slightly increased up to maximum then decreased with increasing the diameter of the semispherical cavity. In the presence of water, water/detergent dilution, oil, oil/water dilution on the sliding surface, friction coefficient displayed the highest values at 12 mm cavity height. The semispherical cavity increased friction coefficient. The highest friction values where observed for cavity of 12 mm height and 38 mm diameter.
Samy et al. (Fri,) studied this question.