Axisymmetric contact of a rigid inclusion embedded at the interface of a piezoelectric bimaterial

Abstract

The axisymmetric contact problem of a rigid inclusion embedded in the piezoelectric bimaterial frictionless interface subjected to simultaneous far-field compression and electric displacement is addressed. With the aid of a robust technique, the coupled governing integral equations of this mixed boundary-value problem are reduced to decoupled Fredholm integral equations with a constraint equation. A useful limiting case for the contact problem of transversely isotropic bimaterials is addressed. The present solution is analytically in agreement with the existing solution for an isotropic bimaterial. Selected numerical results of interest to engineering applications including the radius of separation zone, contact pressure and contact electric displacement are plotted to portray the effects of precompression, piezoelectric coupling and material properties. © The author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.