THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTISKID MATERIALS

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FOUR COMMONLY USED ANTISKID MATERIALS WAS TESTED ON A CIRCULAR TRACK APPARATUS ON ICE AND PACKED SNOW. THE TESTS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A FULL-SIZED AUTOMOTIVE WHEEL WHICH WAS MADE TO SLIP UNTIL THE MAXIMUM COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION WAS OBTAINED. INITIAL FRICTION VALUES WERE QUITE HIGH AND DECEPTIVE. TO SUSTAIN RELATIVELY HIGH COEFFICIENTS OF FRICTION AFTER SOME TRAFFIC HAS PASSED, INCREASED RATES OF APPLICATION ARE REQUIRED. THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FOUR MATERIALS WAS FOUND TO BE SMALL. THE PARTICLE SIZE HAS A PRONOUNCED EFFECT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ANTISKID MATERIALS AND ESPECIALLY THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE VERY FINE PARTICLES (PASSING A NO. 50 SEIVE) IS MINOR AND THEIR ELIMINATION IS RECOMMENDED. THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIALS THAT AFFECT THEIR USEFULNESS AS ANTISKID MATERIALS WERE DETERMINED AND ARE REPORTED. /AUTHOR/