Clarke, B., Tomlinson, K. orcid.org/0000-0003-4691-5057, Karunakaran, A. et al. (5 more authors) (2024) The effectiveness of chalk as a friction modifier for finger pad contact with rocks of varying roughness. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. ISSN 1754-3371
Abstract
The application of chalk (magnesium carbonate) in rock climbing is common practice as climbers attempt to improve their grip by removing moisture from their hands with the aim of increasing friction at the finger pad-rock interface. This novel work investigated the effectiveness of chalk as a friction modifier on four different rocks (sandstone, granite, dark limestone and light limestone) typically found in areas of the UK where the sport of climbing is undertaken, with varying surface roughness. The static coefficient of friction was measured for dry and wet fingertip conditions with and without chalk, under normal (‘grip’) forces of 5, 10 and 15 N. Results showed that the effectiveness of chalk as a friction modifier is dependent on a number of factors such as moisture level and the gradient of the asperity at the rock surface, however, in general chalk applied to dry fingertips had a more positive effect on the static coefficient of friction than in simulated sweaty conditions. During lab tests, chalk was also seen to be beneficial by making the static coefficient of friction more consistent across most test conditions. The results of this study, and the explanation of friction mechanisms involved, provides guidance for the use of chalk with consideration of the type of rock which is being climbed.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © IMechE 2024. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). |
Keywords: | friction; friction modifiers; rock climbing; surface roughness; tribology; chalk; magnesium carbonate; finger pad-rock interface; grip; climbing |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Mechanical Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 06 Aug 2024 13:23 |
Last Modified: | 20 Sep 2024 13:33 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/17543371241272903 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:214893 |