Adhesion at the wavy contact interface between two elastic bodies

The plane strain elastic contact of two bodies with a wavy contact interface is investigated. The effect of adhesion is accounted for by using the Maugis model. This periodic mixed boundary value problem is solved using integral transform techniques. Results are obtained for the extent of the contact region as a function of the dimensionless applied pressure and for various values of the dimensionless adhesive stress and peak-to-valley height. These contact length versus applied pressure curves are characterized by discontinuities and hysteresis. A finite contact region exists at zero load, with further loading causing one or more jumps into a complete contact configuration. Unloading is also characterized by one or more jumps before pull-off occurs suddenly with a finite contact length and tensile pressure loading.