Simulation model for frictional contact of two elastic surfaces in micro/nanoscale and its validation

A numerical model is suggested and validated for simulating frictional forces between two samples. The model employs knowledge of surface topographies and values of surface properties provided in the relevant literature and can be applied to contact between complex surfaces. It employs the Lennard-Jones molecular force theory and applies it to a surface segmented into cuboids, which represent separate springs in a Winkler layer. In order to model a contact of two rough surfaces, their asperities are merged into one surface that is put into contact with a perfectly flat surface. Validation, done by atomic force microscopy (AFM), shows that the model can be applied for contacts of rigid samples in the elastic regime of forces.