Indentation and Detachment in Adhesive Contacts between Soft Elastomer and Rigid Indenter at Simultaneous Motion in...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Tribology
• Polymer Physics

Background:

• Understanding elastomer--solid interactions is crucial for designing compliant materials.
• Indentation and detachment mechanics influence material wear and performance.
• Previous models often simplify the complex contact dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of indenter inclination angle on elastomer indentation and detachment.
• To develop a theoretical model for predicting elastomer contact behavior.
• To analyze the dynamic processes occurring at the contact interface.

Main Methods:

• Experimental: Indentation and detachment of a steel indenter into a soft elastomer at varying angles.
• Measurements: Recording contact forces, contact area, pressure, and stresses over time.
• Theoretical: Proposing a simple model considering independent tangential and normal contacts.

Main Results:

• Observed elastomer slippage and Schallamach wave propagation at small, near-tangential indentation angles.
• Identified a no-slip regime during indentation and detachment at near-normal angles.
• Experimental and theoretical results demonstrate strong dependence of contact dynamics on inclination angle.

Conclusions:

• Elastomer contact behavior is highly sensitive to the indenter's inclination angle.
• A simple theoretical model can capture key aspects of elastomer indentation, including slippage and wave phenomena.
• The findings provide insights into the mechanics of soft materials under combined normal and tangential loading.