XML Template (2014) [31.5.

2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

Special Issue Article

Proc IMechE Part J:

J Engineering Tribology
Effect of static electricity on static friction 0(0) 1–7
! IMechE 2014
force between plastic film and steel roller Reprints and permissions:
sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/1350650114537614
pij.sagepub.com

Hiromu Hashimoto1, Yuta Sunami1 and Hagino Fujita2

Abstract
To establish the new technology named Roll-to-Roll Printed Electronics, which can be applied to manufacture the high
functional thin film based devices such as flexible displays, batteries, and electric skins, it is needed to combine the roll-to-
roll transportation system and coating technology effectively. For that purpose, one of important factors to be con-
sidered is the effect of electrostatic force on the friction characteristics between the film and roller surface. In this paper,
the static friction between the plastic film (polyethylene terephthalate film) and steel roller was measured to clarify the
effect of electrostatic force on the friction characteristics. The static friction was measured by pulley method while
changing the film thickness, web tension, and relative humidity of ambient air. In the process it was found that both the
decrease in the film thickness and increase in relative humidity of the air have an effect of an increase in the static friction
coefficient in the system. Moreover, the tendency can be pronounced with the decrease in the web tension.

Keywords
Roll-to-Roll, plastic film, static friction coefficient, static electricity, relative humidity

Date received: 1 October 2013; accepted: 7 May 2014

Introduction
system has many problems. For example, as the man-
In recent years, a product development system for ufacturing devices require high precision, registration
manufacturing of high functional thin film-based is very important during the transportation of the web.
devices such as flexible displays, thin-film solar cells, During the web transports on rollers, web defects such
batteries, and electric skins is being promoted. These as wrinkling, slippage, sagging, and unwanted
devices are manufactured by Printed-Electronics (PE) meandering on rollers can occur.1–2 In order to prevent
manufacturing which is one of the most remarkable the defects, it is important to understand the friction
systems of manufacture at present. PE can manufac- characteristics between a web and rollers. In previous
ture a wide variety of flexible devices. However, the studies, the effect of the entrained air between a web
system is not yet capable of manufacturing mass and roller on friction characteristic was examined,
products because of a high cost associated with in which the air film thickness was modeled by the
making of large-area devices. On the other hand, foil-bearing equation.3–11 Hashimoto presented new
Roll-to-Roll (R2R) transportation system has been theoretical modeling of friction coefficient between
applied to the manufacturing of thin and flexible uncoated paper-web and steel roller under mixed lubri-
materials which is called a web, such as plastic films, cation by using contact mechanics, and the model was
papers, and thin metal plates at low cost. R2R system verified compared with the measured results.12
can transport the web using a large number of rollers. However, higher accuracy of the transportation tech-
Several processes are performed on the web, such as nology for the web is being required to establish
recording, coating, drying, and laminating during the R2RPE manufacturing system. Therefore, it is
transportation of the web. Therefore, it is needed to
establish the new technology named Roll-to-Roll- 1
Vice chancellor for research, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan
Printed-Electronics (R2RPE) manufacturing system 2
Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd, Business Innovation Office, Tokyo,
which combines with the R2R transportation system Japan
and PE manufacturing system as shown in Figure 1 to
Corresponding author:
manufacture a large amount of high functional thin
Hiromu Hashimoto, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokai
film-based devices. However, the application of this University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa-ken 259-1292,
system is being limited to the manufacturing of only Japan.
a few devices because R2RPE manufacturing Email: [email protected]

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015

XML Template (2014) [31.5.2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

2 Proc IMechE Part J: J Engineering Tribology 0(0)

Coating Drying Printing

Laminating
Unwinding Winding

Figure 1. Roll-to-Roll Printed-Electronics manufacturing system.

(a) (b) Chamber

Wrap angle Θ
Test film
Chamber Roller Test film
Static friction

Roller radius Roller

Fixed weight Weight

Weight

Tinlet Texit

Figure 2. Experimental apparatus: (a) overview of experimental apparatus and (b) side view of experimental apparatus.

necessary to investigate friction characteristics laser microscope. In Figure 3, maximum height of

between the web and roller surface including effects surface roughness of test films is about 2 mm, and on
of various factors in more detail. Above all, static elec- the other hand, the value of the roller is about 6 mm.
tricity is generated during transportation for a web; Figure 4 shows the cross-sectional view of the film of
however, the relationship between the electrostatic 25 mm with the scanning electron microscope. From
force and friction characteristics between the web Figure 4, it follows that the film is deformable in
and roller surface has not been clarified yet. thickness direction because the film is laminate struc-
In this paper, a fundamental experiment, in which ture in the direction. The films of other thickness have
the static friction force between plastic film and steel probably similar property because PET film is crystal-
roller is measured, is conducted to clarify the effect of line polymer. Tables 1 and 2 show the specifications of
electrostatic force on the friction characteristics by the test films and test roller, respectively. In Table 1,
changing relative humidity of ambient air. EMD and ECD indicate the Young’s moduli of
machine and cross directions, respectively.
In this experiment, first a piece of the test film was
Experimental apparatus and procedure
put on the roller and then identical weights were set
Figure 2 shows the overview of the experimental up at the ends of the film as shown in Figure 2(b).
apparatus for measuring the static friction force After that, the weight (Texit) was increased at one end
between the plastic film and steel roller surface. The of side by slowly adding water to a container sus-
experimental apparatus consists of a roller, test film, pended from the film’s end. The exit tension Texit
weight, isolation chamber, and a humidifier, and these increase was continued until the test film started to
components comprise a simple system in which a slide on the test roller. After obtaining the inlet and
pulley method is implemented for friction measure- exit tensions, the static friction coefficient, s, was
ment. The test roller was cylindrical which was fixed calculated by the following the Euler’s belt formula
in the experiment. Five specimens of polyethylene ter-  
ephthalate (PET) film were used in tests, each of a 1 Texit
s ¼ ln ð1Þ
different thickness. Figure 3 shows the surface rough-  Tinlet
ness of test films and test roller with the co-focused

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015

XML Template (2014) [31.5.2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

Hashimoto et al. 3

[μm] [μm]
2 2
(a) (b)
1 1

0 0
0 0
200 200
2 [μm] 2 [μm]
400 400
600 600
800 1 800 1

1000 1000
1200 0 1200 0
800 1000 800 1000
1400 400 600 [μm] 1400 400 600 [μm]
0 200 0 200
[μm] [μm]

[μm] [μm]
(c) 2 (d) 2

1 1

0 0

0 0
200 200
2 [μm] 2 [μm]
400 400

600 600
1 800 1
800
1000 1000
0 1200 0
1200 1000
800 1000 600 800
1400 400 600 [μm] 1400 400 [μm]
200 0 200
[μm] 0 [μm]

(e) 2
[μm] (f) 6
[μm]

5
4
1 3
2
1
0 0
0 0
200 200
2 [μm] [μm]
400 400 5
600 600 4
1 3
800 800
2
1000 1000 1
1200 0 1200 0
800 1000 400 5000
1400 400 600 [μm] 1400 200 300 [μm]
0 200 0 100
[μm] [μm]

Figure 3. Surface roughness of test films and steel roller: (a) tw ¼ 6 mm; (b) tw ¼ 12 mm; (c) tw ¼ 25 mm; (d) tw ¼ 38 mm; (e) tw ¼ 50 mm;
and (f) steel roller.

strongly with humidity, and inlet tension was changed

within range of Tinlet ¼ 6, 12, 25, 50 N/m.
In this experiment, static electricity is generated
Thickness direction

between the film and roller surface because a PET

film is an insulator. To clarify the effect of the electro-
static force on the friction characteristics, a surface
potential, V, on the film was measured with the surface
1 μm electrometer. Measurement areas were three points of
contact between the film and the roller surface as
shown in Figure 5. Surface potential was measured
Figure 4. Cross-sectional view of film of tw ¼ 25 mm. after measuring static friction force and changing the
relative humidity. An electrostatic potential is gener-
ated between the surfaces of the film and the roller
where  is the wrap angle. In the experiment, wrap with the build up of the electric charge Q in the
angle was determined as  ¼ . system. The electric charge Q is calculated by
Furthermore, the relative humidity of ambient air
was changed with a humidifier in increments of 5% Q ¼ CV½C ð2Þ
from 30% to 80% because static electricity correlates

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015

XML Template (2014) [31.5.2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

4 Proc IMechE Part J: J Engineering Tribology 0(0)

Table 1. Specifications of test films.

Parameter Value

Thickness tw (mm) 6 12 25 38 50
Width W (mm) 20
RMS roughness w (nm) 42 41 57 44 52
Young’s modulus (MD) EMD (GPa) 7.59 4.91 4.34 4.70 5.51
Young’s modulus (CD) ECD (GPa) 4.06 5.43 4.65 5.10 4.98

Table 2. Specifications of test roller.

Parameter Value

Static friction coefficient μs

0.3

Material SCM-440
RMS roughness r (nm) 370 0.2
Length L (mm) 500
Radius R (mm) 40 tw = 6 [μm]
0.1
tw = 12 [μm]
tw = 25 [μm]

Film thickness tw [μm] 0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5

Surface potential V [V]
Surface potential V [kV]

Figure 6. Relationship between static friction coefficient and

surface potential (Tinlet ¼ 12 N/m, T ¼ 24.9–26.4  C,
H ¼ 40.145.2%).
Measured points 30[mm]
Film

0.30
Surface electrometer
Static friction coefficient μs

Figure 5. Method of measuring surface potential on test film. 0.25

where C is electric capacitance which is obtained by 0.20

"0 "r S
C¼ ½F ð3Þ 0.15
tw

where e0 is the electric permittivity of vacuum, er is the 0 10 20 30 40 50

relative permittivity of PET film, S is the area of Film thickness tw [μm]
apparent contact between the film and roller surface,
and tw the film thickness. In the experiment, e0 is Figure 7. Relationship between static friction coefficient and
8.854  1012 F/m, er is 3.2, and S is 2.51  103 m2. film thickness (Tinlet ¼ 12 N/m, T ¼ 24.9–26.4  C, H ¼ 40.1–
45.2%).
Experimental results
Figure 6 shows the relationship between the static 0 kV range, and the static friction coefficients were
friction coefficient and the surface potential for films not only slightly influenced by the surface potential.
of different thickness under the inlet tension of However, comparing the results with regard to the
12 N/m and temperature between 24.9 and 26.4  C influence of the film thickness, the static friction coef-
and with the relative humidity between 40.1 and ficient in the case of thin film was higher than for the
45.2%. In the figure, the horizontal and vertical axes thick film.
indicate the surface potential of the film and the static Figure 7 shows the relationship between the static
friction coefficient, respectively. This result shows that friction coefficient and the film thickness. As can be
the surface potential was generated in the 1.5 to seen in the figure, the static friction coefficient was

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015

XML Template (2014) [31.5.2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

Hashimoto et al. 5

Applied load + electrostatic force (a)

(a)
0.4

Static friction coefficient μs

Film Pull 0.3

0.2

Roller
Tinlet =6 [N/m] Tinlet =25 [N/m]
Asperity 0.1
Tinlet =12 [N/m] Tinlet =50 [N/m]
(b) Applied load + electrostatic force
0
30 40 50 60 70 80
Pull
Film Relative humidity H [%]
(b)
0.4
Roller

Static friction coefficient μs

Asperity
0.3
Figure 8. An increase of resistance due to ‘‘anchor effect’’:
(a) case of thick film and (b) case of thin film. 0.2

0.1 Tinlet =6 [N/m] Tinlet =25 [N/m]

increased with the decrease in the film thickness. This
Tinlet =12 [N/m] Tinlet =50 [N/m]
results obtained are considered to be influenced by the
electrostatic force and deformation of the film. When 0
the electrostatic force is generated between the film 30 40 50 60 70 80
and roller surface, the film is deformed along with Relative humidity H [%]
the roller surface asperities. Moreover, the electric (c)
charge is inversely proportional to film thickness as 0.4
Static friction coefficient μs

shown in equations (2) and (3). It means that the elec-

trostatic force is increased with a decrease in the film 0.3
thickness. On the other hand, the bending stiffness of
the film is proportional to the cube of the film thick-
ness as shown in the following equation 0.2

t3w WEMD Tinlet =6 [N/m] Tinlet =25 [N/m]

EI ¼ ½Nm2  ð4Þ 0.1
12 Tinlet =12 [N/m] Tinlet =50 [N/m]

where W is the width of film. As a result, the thin film 0

30 40 50 60 70 80
is deformed and sagged more, as compared to thick Relative humidity H [%]
film due to electrostatic force and lower bending stiff-
ness, and it covers more closely the roller surface aspe-
Figure 9. Variation of static friction coefficients with relative
rities. When the film is pulled tangentially, the
humidity as a parameter of web tension: (a) tw ¼ 6 mm; (b)
asperities behave as an anchor. The static friction tw ¼ 12 mm; and (c) tw ¼ 25 mm.
coefficient in the case of thin film was increased than
in the case of thick film due to ‘‘anchor effect’’ and
‘‘sagging effect’’ between the deformed film and aspe- respectively. It was confirmed that surface potential
rities as shown in Figure 8. of test film used was obtained between 1.5 and 0 kV
Figure 9 shows the relationship between the static in the measurements. In these figures, the static fric-
friction coefficient and relative humidity for three film tion coefficients of each film thickness were increased
thicknesses, tw ¼ 6, 12, and 25 mm and four inlet ten- with an increase in relative humidity. In particular,
sions, Tinlet ¼ 6, 12, 25, and 50 N/m under the the rate of the increase of the static friction coefficient
temperature between 24.9 and 26.4  C. The measure- was greater beyond the relative humidity of 50%. The
ments were conducted 10 times to investigate the reason for this behavior is probably the influence by
repeatability. In these figures, the plots and the error the meniscus force in the contact area between the film
bar mean the average value and the variability, and roller surface asperities. Increasing the relative
respectively, and the solid lines indicate trend line. humidity causes the meniscus force generated between
In addition, the horizontal and vertical axes indicate the surfaces as shown in Figure 10, and then the film is
relative humidity and static friction coefficient, pulled to the roller surface. The contact area between

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015

XML Template (2014) [31.5.2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

6 Proc IMechE Part J: J Engineering Tribology 0(0)

Meniscus Humidity
increase

Figure 10. Schematic diagram of meniscus force between film and roller surface asperities.

the film and roller surface asperities is larger, and then 2. The static friction coefficient was increased with a
deformation of the film increases. As a result, the decrease in the film thickness and an increase in
static friction coefficient increases due to the anchor the relative humidity.
effect between the deformed film and asperities, simi- 3. The static friction coefficient in the case of thin film
lar to the results in Figure 7. The greater the increase under low web tension was significantly increased
of the relative humidity, the more the static friction as compared with the results of thick film due to
coefficient is increased. In the humidity range from anchor effect and sagging effect between the
70% to 80% shown in Figure 9(a), measurement deformed film and roller surface asperities.
date was not obtained because the film would not
slide. It was confirmed that the relative humidity As mentioned earlier, the static friction coefficient
strongly influences the static friction coefficient. On between the film and roller surface was significantly
the other hand, comparing the results of changing influenced by the surrounding environment.
inlet tension, the static friction coefficient under low Therefore, it is also highly possible that temperature
tension was more significantly increased with the affects the static friction coefficient because relative
increase in relative humidity. The static friction is humidity correlates with temperature. The experiments
independent of applied load and the static friction on the effect of temperature on the static friction coef-
coefficient stays constant with an increase of the ficient have been carried out with simultaneous control
applied load according to the Amonton–Coulomb’s over temperature and relative humidity. Furthermore,
law. However, a different tendency, in which the it is important to investigate not only the static friction
static friction coefficient was increased with the coefficient but also the kinetic friction coefficient when
decrease in the applied load, was shown due to the environmental conditions were changed. It is
strong anchor effect and sagging effect between the planned to continue the task in order to also consider
deformed film and roller surface asperities. On the the kinetic friction experimentally.
other hand, the influence of the relative humidity on
the static friction coefficient was reduced with the Funding
increase in the film thickness and inlet tension as This research received no specific grant from any funding
shown in Figure 9(a) to (c). The sagging and deform- agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
ation of the top of film are reduced due to higher
bending stiffness, and then the area of asperities cov- Conflict of interest
ered by deformed film is reduced. Moreover, the ten- None declared.
dency is probably more pronounced under high
tension. As a result, static friction coefficient was
decreased due to lower anchor effect. References
1. Hashimoto H. Theoretical and experimental investiga-
tion into generation of wrinkling and slip in plastic-
Conclusions films under transportation. JSME J Adv Mech Design
In this paper, the static friction between the plastic film Syst Manuf 2010; 4: 238–248.
and steel roller was measured to clarify the effect of 2. Hikita S and Hashimoto H. Improvement of slippage
and wrinkling of transporting webs using micro-grooved
electrostatic force on the friction characteristics
rollers. JSME J Adv Mech Design Syst Manuf 2010; 4:
under relative humidity in 30% to 80% range. The 226–237.
main conclusions are briefly summarized as follows: 3. Knox KL and Sweency TL. Fluid effects associated with
web handling. Ind Eng Chem Process Des Develop 1971;
1. The surface potential on the plastic film used for 10: 201–205.
this experiment was generated within the range of 4. Eshel A and Elrod HG. The theory of the infinitely wide,
1.5 kV to 0 kV and the influence of voltage on perfectly flexible, self-acting foil bearing. J Fluids Eng
the static friction coefficient was insignificant. 1965; 87: 831–835.

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015

XML Template (2014) [31.5.2014–8:17am] [1–7]
//blrnas3/cenpro/ApplicationFiles/Journals/SAGE/3B2/PIJJ/Vol00000/140059/APPFile/SG-PIJJ140059.3d (PIJ) [PREPRINTER stage]

Hashimoto et al. 7

5. Ducotey KS and Good JK. The importance of traction in 10. Patir N and Cheng HS. An average flow model for
web handling. Trans ASME J Tribol 1995; 117: 679–684. determining effects of three-dimensional roughness on
6. Ducotey KS and Good JK. The effect of web permeability partial hydrodynamic lubrication. Trans ASME J
and side leakage on the air film height between a roller Tribol 1978; 100: 12–17.
and web. Trans ASME J Tribol 1998; 120: 559–565. 11. Hashimoto H and Okajima M. Theoretical and experi-
7. Rice BS, Muftu S and Cole KA. A model for determin- mental investigations into spacing characteristics
ing the asperity engagement height in relation to web between roller and three types of webs with different
traction over non-vented rollers. Trans ASME J Tribol permeabilities. Trans ASME J Tribol 2006; 128:
2002; 124: 564–584. 267–274.
8. Hashimoto H. Air film thickness estimation in web hand- 12. Hashimoto H. Friction characteristics between paper
ling process. Trans ASME J Tribol 1999; 121: 50–55. and steel roller under mixed lubrication. Proc
9. Hashimoto H and Nakagawa H. Improvement of IMechE, Part J: J Engineering Tribology 2012; 226:
web spacing and friction characteristics by two types of 1127–1140.
stationary guides. Trans ASME J Tribol 2001; 123:
509–516.

Downloaded from pij.sagepub.com at UNIV CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO on June 4, 2015