Abstract: In order to study the deficiency of the friction and wear mechanism analysis and how to
effectively control the impact of the subsurface damage during the process of rolling contact between
free abrasive and optical element. Based on the rolling contact theory, a rolling contact model of dual
fractal surfaces is established between single free abrasive and optical element, and the simulation of
the microscopic dynamic rolling contact process is achieved by the use of the FEM simulative
analysis. Through the analysis of the contact force, contact stress, abrasive angles and related stress
fields under different shear strength, showed that, with the shear strength increased, the friction
coefficient of the contact interface between the grain and optical surface will be decreased, the best
grinding abrasive angle is 105°–120°, the influence of the fractal abrasives on subsurface damage is
greater than the spherical grains, the necessity and importance of the research about the free fractal abrasive in rolling contact is indicated, and a certain significance for deeper understanding of the
friction mechanism during the contact process is provided.

Key words: free single abrasive, subsurface damage, abrasive angles, rolling contact, finite element
analysis