Numerical simulation of the adhesive contact between a slightly wavy surface and a half-space

In this work, the adhesive contact between a slightly wavy surface and a half-space has been investigated numerically. The surface traction was described by the Lennard-Jones potential with the Derjaguin's approximation. The deformation was first obtained by using the formula for the line contact and then, using the arc-length continuation algorithm, the relation between the contact half-width and the total force per asperity was obtained. The pull-off forces were then determined. The numerical simulation presented in this paper can be used to simulate all adhesive contacts ranging from the JKR contact to a rigid contact.