The following lecture is adopted from the following book and Journal Paper:

1. “Contact Mechanics” by K. L. Johnson

2. “Surface energy and the contact of elastic solids” K. L. Johnson, K. Kendall,
A. D. Roberts, Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 1971, 324, 301-313.

JKR Contact Mechanics Theory

It is a common experience that one needs to apply force to pull apart two bodies placed in
intimate contact with each other signifying that adhesive forces act between the two
bodies. While the origin of the adhesive forces is not a subject of this course, here we will
worry about how to estimate the effect of these forces in contact deformation. Let’s
consider the deformation of two smooth elastic spheres of radius R1 and R2 pressed
together under load P0 . If E1 and E 2 are the elastic modulii of the two spheres, then
according to the Hertzian mechanics, the expressions for contact radius a , displacement
d and contact pressure p 0 are obtained as,
1/ 3
æ 3P R ö
1/ 3
1 3P0 1 æ 9 P02 ö
1/ 3
æ 6P E * 2 ö
a0 = ç 0 * ÷ d= =ç ÷÷ p 0 = ç 03 2 ÷ 6.1
è 4E ø 2 E * 2 a 0 çè 16 RE * 2 ø ç p R
è
÷
ø
1 1 - s 12 1 - s 22 1 1 1
Where, *
= + and = + .
E E1 E2 R R1 R2
However the data from many experiments with rubber spheres in contact with glass does
not quite agree with the Hertzian theory as a finite contact radius is observed even as the
load approaches to zero. These observations suggest that attractive surface forces operate
between solids and although they are not all that significant at high loads, they become
increasingly important as the loads are reduced to zero.

R1

d P0

a0 a0

a1 a1

R2

How does the pressure distribution then alter from that in the Hertzian contact between
surfaces without any interaction. The pressure distribution in that case was found to be
 r2
p(r ) = p 0 1 -
a2
which resulted in total displacement at the interface of the form
r2
v1 z =0 + v 2 z =0 = d -
2R
It was observed that pressure distribution could have a component of the form
p 0'
p(r ) = which could have resulted in a constant displacement. But it was
r2
1- 2
a
discarded! Because, if p 0' were positive, it would result in interference of surfaces
outside the contact area. On the other hand, if it were negative, infinite tension could not
be sustained outside the contact area. However this is not a problem, when the surfaces
attract each other, so that the contact pressure is compressive not through the whole area
of contact but only towards the center and towards the periphery it is tensile:
r2 p 0'
( )
p r = p0 1 - 2 +
a r2
1- 2
a

a0 a0

a1 a1

This pressure distribution results in how the deformed profiles of the spheres contact each
other, whereas in Hertzian mechanics, the interfaces meet tangentially, in this situation
they meet perpendicularly with adhesive forces. As a result, the actual contact radius is
not equal to a 0 but a 1 . Here we will find out how to obtain this actual contact radius.

Consider the situation when no surface forces act, the contact radius is given as
3P R 1 3P0 1 a 02
a 03 = 0 * . The movement d of the applied load is given by d = =
4E 2 E * 2 a0 R
When attractive forces act between the surfaces the contact radius in equilibrium will be
a1 > a 0 . Although, applied load remains at P0 , an apparent Hertz load P1 corresponding
to the contact radius a1 , defined as:
 3P1 R
a13 = 6.2
4E *
Then the energy required to load the system of spheres to a contact radius a1 with a load
P1 , in the absence of surface forces, can be calculated as:
Say, an intermediate load is P , and the corresponding contact radius is a , then
1
æ 3PR ö 3
a = ç * ÷ and the movement of the applied load is,
è 4E ø
2 2

1 æ 3PR ö 3 P3 4E *
d = ç *÷ = 2 1
, K= 6.3
R è 4E ø 3
K R
3 3

The differential movement and the energy is

1 2
-
2 P 3 2 P3
dd = dP Þ P × dd = dP 6.4
3 23 13 3 23 13
K R K R

Hence the total energy stored in the spheres is

2 5
P1
2 P 2 P1
3 3
U1 =
0
ò3 2
5 23 131
dP = 6.5
K R 3
K R 3

Now say by keeping the contact radius constant at a1 , the load is reduced to P0 . The
p0
situation is very similar to the loading on the contact area of the form p(r ) = in
r2
1- 2
a
which the displacement is constant with respect r and is obtained as (in 4.69 and 4.70)
P 2P
d= *
= 6.6
2a1 E 3Ka1
Then the energy that gets stored in the spheres, in decreasing the pressure from P1 to P0
is
æ ö
1 ç P02 - P12 ÷
P0

U2 = ò
2 P
3 Ka1
dP =
1
3Ka1
(P0 - P1 ) = 2 1 ç 1 ÷
2 2
6.7
P1 3 ç ÷
3K R è P1
3 3
ø
The total energy stored in the spheres,
5

U E = U1 + U 2 =
2 P13
-
1 P12 - P02 ( ) 6.8
5 23 13 3 23 13 13
K R K R P1
The mechanical potential energy of the system is given by,
 æ 2 1
ö
æ ö ç P1 3
2 P1 - P0 2 æ K ö 3 P1 - P0 ÷
UM = - P0d 2 = - P0 çç d 1 -
÷÷ = - P0 ç 2 1 - çç ÷÷ ÷ 6.9
è ø 3 Ka1
ç K 3R3 3 è RP1 ø K ÷
è ø
P æ1 - ö
2 1
2
= - 2 0 1 çç P1 3 + P0 P1 3 ÷÷ 6.10
3 3
K 3R3 è ø
The surface energy lost due to adhesion of the two surfaces is given by
2
æ RP ö 3
U s = -pa12W A = -W Ap ç 1 ÷ 6.11
è K ø
Then the total energy is given by
UT = U E + U M + U s
æ 2
ö 2 2
æ 1 53 1 2 - 13 ö
1 1 ç P0 P1 3 2 2 - 13 ÷ R 3 P1 3 6.12
= 2 1 çç P1 + P0 P1 ÷÷ - 2 1 ç + P0 P1 ÷ - W Ap 2
15 3 ø K 3R3 ç 3 3 ÷
K 3R3 è è ø K3
The equilibrium is attained at the minimum energy state of the system, which happens
¶U T ¶U T
when, = 0 => =0
¶a ¶P1
2 1
-
1æ1 2 1 - ö
4
1 æ2 1
- ö
4
R 3 P1
ç P0 P1 3 - 2 P02 P1 3 ÷ - 2 W Ap
- 3
Þ 2 1 çç P1 3 - P02 P1 3 ÷÷ - 2 1 ç9 ÷ 3 2
=0
9 9 9
K 3R3 è ø K 3R3 è ø K3
4
-
P
(P )
3
Þ 2 1 1
2
- P02 - 2 P0 P1 + 2 P02 - 6W ApRP1 = 0 6.13
9K R 3 3

Þ P12 - 2 P1 (P0 + 3W ApR ) + P02 = 0

Solving, we obtain an expression for P1 :
P12 - 2 P1 (P0 + 3W ApR ) + P02 = 0
6.14
P1 = (P0 + 3W ApR ) ± (P0 + 3W ApR )2 - P02
Stable solution is obtained for
P1 = (P0 + 3W ApR ) + 6W ApP0 R + (3W ApR )
2
6.15
Hence the apparent Hertz load is bigger than the actual load due to the work of adhesion
W A and the radius of contact of the two spheres is given as,
R
a13 = æç (P0 + 3W ApR ) + 6W ApP0 R + (3W ApR ) ö÷
2
6.16
K è ø
RP
From which we recover the Hertzian equation a13 = 0 when W A = 0 . At zero load the
K
contact radius is finite and is given by,
 R
a13 = (6W ApR ) 6.17
K
A real solution to equation 6.15 exists when
3
6W ApP0 R + (3W ApR ) ³ 0 Þ P0 ³ - W ApR
2
6.18
2
In other word, the separation of the spheres occur when
3
P0 = - W ApR 6.19
2
Microscope

Soft Lens

Weighing Balance
2
æ a13 K ö
çç - P0 ÷÷
R
We can rewrite equation 6.14 using 6.2 as, W A = è ø 6.20
6pa1 K
3

Let’s say a hemispherical lens radius R made of an incompressible elastic material of

modulus E is pressed against a rigid substrate. Then
4E * 4 E 16 E
K= = =
3 3 1 - 1/ 4 9
And, further rearranging 6.20, one obtains
3
1/ 2
a12 9 P0 3 æ 6W Ap ö
= + ç ÷ 6.21
R 16 E 32 4 è E ø
a1
Thus, plotting a13 / 2 R vs. P a13 / 2 we can obtain both the elastic modulus and the work of
adhesion of the material of the lens.