Incipient sliding of adhesive contacts

A model is proposed herein to investigate the incipient sliding of contacts in the presence of both friction and adhesion, where the interfacial response is modeled based on traction-separation laws. A Maugis-like parameter is defined to characterize the response in the tangential direction. Subsequently, the model is used to investigate the contact between a smooth cylinder and a flat body, where adhesion-friction interactions are strong. A range of behaviors are observed when a tangential displacement is imposed: When the parameter is low, the contact pressure exhibits a relatively constant profile; when it is high, a pressure spike is observed at the edge of the contact. This difference is caused by a significant interface compliance in the former case, which limits the amount of slip. The results for the mid-range values of the Maugis-like parameter can qualitatively replicate various experiments performed using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) balls.

Automated summary

A model is proposed to study the incipient sliding of contacts in the presence of friction and adhesion, showcasing different contact pressure profiles under varying parameters. Experimental investigation is conducted on the contact between a smooth cylinder and a flat body under strong adhesion-friction interactions.