Study of Microcontact Model for Hard Particles Between Rough Surfaces

Abstract

Particles are often presented at contact interfaces. In this study, a three-body microcontact model Considering of hard particles and rough surfaces is proposed in order to understand the effects of particles between surfaces on contact characteristics. Both transitional surface-to-surface and particle-to-surface two-body microcontact simulations can be obtained according to the simplification of this model. In the three-body contact situation, the curves of contact area ratio versus dimensionless load are located in the range between two straight lines. The surface-to-surface two-body contact situation is the upper bound and the particle-to-surface two-body contact situation is the lower bound. The contact situation will approach to the pure particle-to-surface two-body contact situation as the value of particle diameter over roughness value of surface increases. The total contact area ratio increases when particle size or particles density decreases, and contact load increases. Contrary to the results for contact area ratio, the dimensionless separation increases when particle density increases or contact load decreases.