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Frictional contact of soft polymeric shells

2024/01/26 by Riad Sahli, Sahli, Riad, Jeppe Mikkelsen +7
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions #Computational Engineering #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Finance #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Gear and Bearing Dynamics Analysis #and Science (cs.CE)

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2401.14926

openalex publication_date 2024/01/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The classical Hertzian contact model establishes a monotonic correlation between contact force and area. Here, we showed that the interplay between local friction and structural instability can deliberately lead to unconventional contact behavior when a soft elastic shell comes into contact with a flat surface. The deviation from Hertzian contact first arises from bending within the contact area, followed by the second transition induced by buckling, resulting in a notable decrease in the contact area despite increased contact force. Friction delays both transitions and introduces hysteresis during unloading. However, a high amount of friction suppresses both buckling and dissipation. Different contact regimes are discussed in terms of rolling and sliding mechanisms, providing insights for tailoring contact behaviors in soft shells.

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