Nepenthes-Inspired Squeal Noise Reducing Elastomer with Stabilized Friction-Induced Self-Excited Vibration

The squealing noise generated by vehicle wipers has increasingly become a primary factor affecting driving safety and comfort. However, adjusting structure and wettability in wet environments to solve the friction-induced squeal noise of wiper blades remains a challenge. Here, inspired by the effective liquid retention and stable interface formation achieved through surface microstructural grooves in Nepenthes, a superhydrophilic elastomer material with a groove array is prepared. This material effectively retains liquid and establishes a stable, slippery surface. It reduces self-excited vibrations caused by friction, resulting in a decrease in squeal noise from 80 to 45 decibels(dB). This research not only presents a series of low-noise elastomers, but also provides a new design strategy to reduce friction-noise in fields such as engines, wiper blades, and oil-lubricated bearings.