Abstract
This paper presents a numerical analysis of adhesion contact due to meniscus between a sphere and a flat considering the elastic deformation of the contacting surfaces. Analytical model and basic equations for numerical analysis are explained first. Meniscus contact characteristics are presented for a 2-mm-radius glass contact on a magnetic disk coated with submonolayer mobile lubricant, and 2-μm and 20-nm-radius asperity contacts on mobile and bonded lubricant layer with a low elasticity. It was found that the sphere-flat contact with submonolayer liquid meniscus shows Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov theory-like behavior to Johnson-Kendall-Roberts theory-like one as the mobile layer thickness decreases from 1 nm to 0.3 nm. There is a critical liquid film thickness below which the meniscus length becomes zero so that the meniscus liquid cannot be transferred to the mating surface. This numerical method can be used for the rigorous analysis of various meniscus adhesion contact problems. Some of the experimental adhesion characteristics between a glass sphere and a magnetic disk are discussed from the aspect of the calculated results of elastic meniscus contact.
