Effect of In-Plane Stress on the Frictional Behavior of Thin Layers

Usually, contact mechanics focus on semi-infinite solids, so that any interaction between normal and in-plane deformation is commonly disregarded. However, when dealing with layers of finite thickness, this assumption is no longer valid, and the specific geometry of the contact pair plays a key role in determining the normal-tangential coupling. In this study, we focus on the exemplar case of a thin deformable layer in frictional sliding contact with a rough profile, where the interplay between tangential friction and normal pressure may lead to significantly different contact behavior compared to the uncoupled case, both in terms of contact area size and frictional response.