Friction of Polymers: from PDMS Melts to PDMS Elastomers

The slip behavior of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer melts flowing on weakly adsorbing surfaces made of short nonentangled PDMS chains densely end-grafted to silica has been characterized. For high enough shear rates, slip lengths proportional to the bulk fluid viscosity have been observed, in agreement with Navier’s interfacial equation and demonstrating that the interfacial Navier’s friction coefficient is a local quantity, independent of the polymer molecular weight. Comparing the interfacial shear stresses deduced from these measured slip lengths to available friction stress measured for cross-linked PDMS elastomers, we further demonstrate the local character of the friction coefficient and compare its value to the monomer–monomer friction.