Numerical Simulation of the Adhesive Contact between a Slightly Wavy Surface and a Half-Space

Abstract

In this work, the adhesive contact between a slightly wavy surface and a half-space has been investigated numerically. The surface traction was described by the Lennard–Jones potential with the Derjaguin's approximation. The deformation was first obtained by using the formula for the line contact and then, using the arc-length continuation algorithm, the relation between the contact half-width and the total force per asperity was obtained. The pull-off forces were then determined. The numerical simulation presented in this paper can be used to simulate all adhesive contacts ranging from the JKR contact to a rigid contact.