Journal Article

FZJ-2025-03176

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Contact mechanics for layered materials: Rubber film on hard substrate

Persson, B.FZJ*

2025
American Institute of Physics Melville, NY

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1063/5.0274655  doi:10.34734/FZJ-2025-03176

Abstract: I consider the contact mechanics for a layered material, consisting of an elastically soft film glued to a hard substrate. I calculate the area of real contact for surfaces with fractal-like roughness and for surfaces with roughness in narrow length scale regions. For the fractal-like surfaces, when the product q0d of the film thickness d and the low cut-off wavenumber q0 of the surface roughness power spectrum satisfy q0d < 0.1, the effective modulus becomes very large. This results in large contact stresses, which can induce plastic deformation or wear, in particular during sliding contact. I also calculate the probability distributions of the normal and tangential stresses at the film-substrate interface. If the tangential (shear) stress is too high, the adhesive bond between the film and the substrate will break. I compare the thin-film contact mechanics problem with the Gent solution for a thin elastic sheet confined between two flat solid surfaces, and discuss the origin of the difference in effective elastic modulus.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Quanten-Theorie der Materialien (PGI-1)

Research Program(s):

1. 5211 - Topological Matter (POF4-521) (POF4-521)

Appears in the scientific report 2025

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Database coverage:
; ; ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; National-Konsortium ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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