Elastic Fields under a Spherical Indenter.
Abstract
In recent years there has been a great increase in the use of indentation techniques for testing and measuring mechanical properties of materials. The method has many practical advantages, but the interpretation of results for hard brittle materials relies heavily on the classical Hertzian theory of contact between elastic bodies. In particular, the theory provides formulae for the stress fields when a rigid spherical indenter is pressed on the flat surface of an elastic body. This theory is not exact, and since it is so widely used the present study was undertaken to form an estimate of the errors involved. The intention was to find a more accurate solution to the problem, and to compare this with the Hertzian approximation in various cases. Some values have been calculated and there are many more to be done before a reliable correction can be offered in every case. It is expected that this will provide a simple and useful check on the magnitude of errors introduced by the Hertz formulae in interpreting experimental results.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA127732
Entities
People
- E. H. Yoffe
Organizations
- University of Cambridge