Modeling adhesion forces between deformable bodies by FEM and Hamaker summation

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Predicting particle adhesion forces is crucial in various scientific and engineering fields.
• Existing models often simplify particle deformation, limiting accuracy for certain conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new hybrid numerical method for predicting adhesion forces of particles.
• To incorporate both elastic and plastic deformation in adhesion force predictions.
• To validate the numerical approach with experimental data.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid method combining the finite element method (FEM) for particle deformation and numerical Hamaker summation.
• Inclusion of plastic deformation effects in the numerical model.
• Comparison of model predictions with atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements.

Main Results:

• The numerical approach accurately predicts adhesion forces, including the influence of plastic deformation.
• Adhesion force dependency on contact geometry and material properties is elucidated.
• The model successfully describes experimentally observed adhesion force hysteresis.

Conclusions:

• The developed hybrid numerical method offers a more comprehensive approach to predicting particle adhesion forces.
• The method's ability to include plastic deformation enhances its applicability.
• The approach is extensible to particles of various shapes beyond spheres.