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Multiscale analysis on two-dimensional nanoscale adhesive contacts

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Abstract

Nanoscale adhesive contacts play a key role in micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems as the dimension of the components come to nanometer. Experimental studies on nanoscale adhesive contacts are limited by some uncertain factors and the cost of experiments is too high. Besides, nanoscale textured surfaces are difficult to process and nanoscale adhesive contacts of textured surfaces are still lack of investigation. By using multiscale method, which couples molecular dynamics simulation and finite element method, two-dimensional nanoscale adhesive contacts between a rigid cylindrical tip and an elastic substrate are investigated. For the contacts between the rigid cylindrical tip and smooth surface, Von Mises stress distributions, the maximum Von Mises stresses, and contact forces are compared for different radii to show the size effects and adhesive effects. The phenomena of hysteresis are observed and more obvious as the radii of the tip increase. The influences of indentation depth and indentation speed are also discussed. Then two series of textured surfaces are employed, and the influences of the texture asperity shape, asperity height, and asperity spacing on contact forces are studied. The contact forces comparisons show that textured surfaces can reduce contact forces effectively in the range of the two series. Contact forces of textured surfaces increase as the asperity heights increase, and textured surfaces with smaller asperity spacing will get higher contact forces. Contact forces may be controlled through textured surfaces in the future. The obtained results will help to improve contact condition and provide theory basis for texture design.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Contemporary Design and Integrated Manufacturing Technology of Ministry of Education, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, China

    Ruiting Tong, Geng Liu & Lan Liu

Authors
  1. Ruiting Tong
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  2. Geng Liu
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  3. Lan Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ruiting Tong.

Additional information

This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 50975232), and Fundamental Research Foundation of Northwestern Polytechnical University, China (Grant No. JC20110249)

TONG Ruiting, born in 1981, is currently a lecturer at Key Laboratory of Contemporary Design and Integrated Manufacturing Technology of Ministry of Education, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China. He received his doctor degree from Northwestern Polytechnical University, China, in 2010. His research interests include multiscale method, contact mechanics, nanoscale friction.

LIU Geng, born in 1961, is currently a professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University, China. His research interests include dynamics of mechanical system, tribology, contact mechanics, biomechanics, multiscale method, etc.

LIU Lan, born in 1974, is currently an associate professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University, China. His research interests include meshfree method, contact mechanics, biomechanics.

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Tong, R., Liu, G. & Liu, L. Multiscale analysis on two-dimensional nanoscale adhesive contacts. Chin. J. Mech. Eng. 25, 446–455 (2012). https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2012.03.446

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2012.03.446

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