Jaffé, J. orcid.org/0000-0003-2355-5765, Tomlinson, K. orcid.org/0000-0003-4691-5057 and Lewis, R. orcid.org/0000-0002-4300-0540 (2026) Moisture: The most important factor in leaf low adhesion? Tribology: Materials, Surfaces & Interfaces. ISSN: 1751-5831
Abstract
Leaf low adhesion mechanisms are complex and the interplay between the influencing parameters is not well understood. In this paper new approaches have been utilised to assess the role of leaf layer moisture versus humidity on low adhesion. Using controlled testing in a climate chamber as well as laboratory and field testing, leaf layer moisture relationships were explored. Moisture was found to be the most important characteristic when compared with environmental changes (such as humidity) and the relationship between moisture and traction is qualified.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Authors/Creators: |
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| Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2026. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. |
| Keywords: | rail-wheel interface; railhead contamination; low adhesion; leaf layer; moisture; humidity; weather |
| Dates: |
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| Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
| Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Apr 2026 09:20 |
| Last Modified: | 30 Apr 2026 09:20 |
| Status: | Published online |
| Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Identification Number: | 10.1177/17515831261434461 |
| Related URLs: | |
| Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:240628 |
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Filename: jaffé-et-al-2026-moisture-the-most-important-factor-in-leaf-low-adhesion.pdf
Licence: CC-BY-NC 4.0

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