Different experiments show a correlation between interaction heterogeneities (roughnessor chemical inhomogeneities) and friction properties of surfaces but the exact role of theseinteractions is still not clearly established. In this thesis, we try to identify molecular mechanism offriction at soft polymer interfaces. In this context, we have performed two complementary studies.The first one concerns the movement of a triple line solid-liquid-gas which moves on a solidsubstrate and more particularly the link between trapping and entrapping of the triple line andcontact angle hysteresis. This method allows measurement of dynamic contact angles with a verygood precision (0,1°), and is particularly sensitive to mechanisms which tend to anchor a tripleline. This technique is then a very efficient tool to study solid/liquid friction.In the second part of this thesis, we try to understand how flexible polymer chains stronglyanchored on a solid substrate affect friction at the interface between such surface and crosslinkedelastomer made of the same polymer. We show that the friction is dominated by the shearthinning of the grafted layer confined between the elastomer and the substrate, and responding tothe shear solicitation like a melt, with very long relaxation times. We also show that the frictionstress appears highly sensitive to the molecular organization inside the surface anchored polymerlayer, comparing end grafted and strongly adsorbed layers having otherwise the same molecularcharacteristics (molecular weight of the chains, and thickness of the surface anchored layer).
