2018/04/09 by B. N. J. Persson · 8 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Gear and Bearing Dynamics Analysis
paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/1.5024038
I develop a general mean-field theory for the influence of electrostatic attraction between two solids on the contact mechanics. I assume elastic solids with random surface roughness. I consider two cases, namely, with and without an electrically insulating layer between the conducting solids. The former case is important for, e.g., the finger-touch screen interaction. I study how the electrostatic attraction influences the adhesion and friction. For the case of an insulating layer, I find that when the applied nominal contact pressure is relatively small, as the applied voltage increases, there is a sharp increase in the contact area, and hence in the friction, at a critical voltage.