How short-range adhesion slows down crack closure and contact formation

Abstract

While viscoelastic, adhesive contact rupture of simple indenters is well studied, contact formation has received much less attention. Here, we present simulations of the formation of contact between various power law indenters and an adhesive, viscoelastic foundation. For all investigated indenters, we find that the macroscopic relaxation time τ scales approximately with 1/ρ1.8, where ρ is the range of adhesion. The prolongation of contact formation with Tabor parameter is rationalized by the increased dissipation that short-range adhesion causes on a moving crack.