Influence of surface tension on fractal contact model

Abstract

Almost all solid surfaces have roughness on different length scales, from macro, micro to nano. In the conventional fractal contact model, the macroscopic Hertzian contact theory is employed to predict the contact load-area relation for all sizes of contact spots. However, when the contact radius of an asperity shrinks to nanometers, surface tension may greatly alter the contact behavior. In the present paper, we address surface effects on the contact between a rigid sphere and an elastic half space, and we demonstrate that the contact load-area relation is size-dependent, especially for nanosized asperities. Then, the refined contact relation is incorporated into the Majumdar-Bhushan fractal contact model. It is found that the presence of surface tension requires higher load than the conventional fractal contact model to generate the same real contact area.