Ian Wark Research Institute,
University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes SA 5095 Australia.
J. Phys. Chem. B (in press)
Abstract
The deformation and adhesion of soft elastic particles
interacting with a Lennard-Jones potential
is obtained by solving self-consistently the elasticity equations.
Hysteresis is demonstrated between loading and unloading.
Also, the pull-off force or maximum adhesion is shown to increase
and eventually to saturate
as the maximum applied load is increased.
The origin of both of these phenomena,
which have been observed experimentally,
is traced to limited equilibration and dynamic hysteresis
of the shape and contact angle
between the advancing and receding deformed solids.
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