Analysis of the Evolution of the Structure of a Surface With Pyramidal Asperities in Contact With a Hard and Smooth Plane

Abstract : This research deals with the evolution of the structure of the sapphire–brass interface due to the variation of contact pressure. This evolution primarily affects the essential parameters that govern the thermal contact resistance (TCR), namely, the contact point density N, the ratio of real area of contact S*, and the distance d separating the median contact planes. The combination of three measurement techniques, namely, profilometry, imaging, and mechanical characterization, was used for the purpose of investigating the structural variation of the interface. Alternatively, the TCR, which prevails at the interface, was estimated. Thus, the object of our study is to propose an original and new experimental approach allowing at the same time the precise measurement of the TCR and the estimate of the contact parameters of the interface studied constituting input data to the theoretical models of TCR. The estimated values given by these last are then compared with those measured. Through this approach, we try to open new ways of experimentation that would tend to reinforce the effort of TCR modeling. The results obtained showed that the roughness parameters Ra and Rq are independent of loading. The roughness Rp, which is considered equal to d, is sensitive to loading and has the same decreasing behavior under the effect of loading. The determination of S*, using the hardness testing, is even more relevant when the effective hardness Hc is considered. Analysis of data for the estimation of the TCR shows that the comparisons with the reference model (Bardon) attest to the relevance of our approach.