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Surface tension and contact with soft elastic solids

Author

Listed:
  • Robert W. Style

    (Yale University)

  • Callen Hyland

    (Yale University)

  • Rostislav Boltyanskiy

    (Yale University)

  • John S. Wettlaufer

    (Yale University
    Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford)

  • Eric R. Dufresne

    (Yale University)

Abstract

The Johnson–Kendall–Roberts theory is the basis of modern contact mechanics. It describes how two deformable objects adhere together, driven by adhesion energy and opposed by elasticity. Here we characterize the indentation of glass particles into soft, silicone substrates using confocal microscopy. We show that, whereas the Johnson–Kendall–Roberts theory holds for particles larger than a critical, elastocapillary lengthscale, it fails for smaller particles. Instead, adhesion of small particles mimics the adsorption of particles at a fluid interface, with a size-independent contact angle between the undeformed surface and the particle given by a generalized version of the Young's law. A simple theory quantitatively captures this behaviour and explains how solid surface tension dominates elasticity for small-scale indentation of soft materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert W. Style & Callen Hyland & Rostislav Boltyanskiy & John S. Wettlaufer & Eric R. Dufresne, 2013. "Surface tension and contact with soft elastic solids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms3728
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3728
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    Cited by:

    1. Ban, Youxue & Mi, Changwen, 2022. "On the competition between adhesive and surface effects in the nanocontact properties of an exponentially graded coating," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 432(C).
    2. Ariadna Marín-Llauradó & Sohan Kale & Adam Ouzeri & Tom Golde & Raimon Sunyer & Alejandro Torres-Sánchez & Ernest Latorre & Manuel Gómez-González & Pere Roca-Cusachs & Marino Arroyo & Xavier Trepat, 2023. "Mapping mechanical stress in curved epithelia of designed size and shape," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Justin D. Glover & Xingwei Yang & Rong Long & Jonathan T. Pham, 2023. "Creasing in microscale, soft static friction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Yiqiu Zhao & Haitao Hu & Yulu Huang & Hanqing Liu & Caishan Yan & Chang Xu & Rui Zhang & Yifan Wang & Qin Xu, 2024. "Elasticity-controlled jamming criticality in soft composite solids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.

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