Bionic tread designs and their anti-slip performance on wet icy surfaces

Abstract

The deterioration of friction on icy roads poses a significant threat to driving safety, particularly under meltwater film conditions where friction rapidly declines, becoming a critical issue in transportation engineering. In this study, a novel bionic tread structure is proposed, inspired by the anti-slip denticle features of Scylla serrata, which effectively grip hard objects in fluid environments, and the superior ice-gripping performance of reindeer hooves. Friction tests on wet ice were conducted to systematically evaluate the influence of denticle angles under varying water film thicknesses. In addition, the dynamic friction performance of conventional patterned tread blocks (CPT), bionic tread blocks (PT), and bionic structures embedded with rigid protrusions (BST) was compared under different water film thicknesses, normal loads, and slip velocities. The results indicate that the 64° denticle angle yields a higher dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF), with an increase of 18%–27% compared to 38° and 90° configurations across all tested conditions. BST exhibited superior DCOF to both PT and CPT under various load and velocity conditions, and its friction performance on wet ice was better than that on dry ice. This study provides new insights and a potential design strategy for high-traction bionic winter tires.