Research on fractal modeling of hard-coated rough surface contact considering the mechanism of elastic-plastic deformation

Research on fractal modeling of hard-coated rough surface contact considering the mechanism of elastic-plastic deformation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Research on fractal modeling of hard-coated rough surface contact considering the mechanism of elastic-plastic deformation Yizhang Lian, Xueliang Zhang, Nanshan Wang, Yonghui Chen, Shanjun Liao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6628698/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 25 Sep, 2025 Read the published version in Tribology Letters → Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study develops an elastoplastic fractal contact model for rough hard-coated surfaces, along with a corresponding contact stiffness model, based on a coated asperity (sphere) contact model and a statistical rough surface contact model. To establish the contact stiffness model for the coated surface asperities, seven fundamental postulates were developed. Numerical simulations were conducted to systematically analyze the influence of the ratio between the coating thickness and the asperity radius, the material properties of the coating and the substrate, and the substrate surface roughness on the contact behavior and stiffness of the coated surfaces. The results demonstrate that: Under a given load, hard-coated rough surfaces exhibit a smaller real contact area but higher stiffness compared to uncoated surfaces; Thicker and stiffer coatings further reduce the contact area while increasing stiffness; Smoother substrate surfaces lead to a larger contact area and higher stiffness in the coated systems. These findings align with the existing statistical contact models for hard-coated rough surfaces, and the predicted contact area closely matches the prior simulation results. To validate the model, experimental tests were conducted on the TiN-coated specimens. The theoretically predicted contact stiffness showed strong agreement with the experimental measurements, confirming the accuracy and applicability of the proposed fractal-based stiffness model. fractal theory elastic-plastic coated surfaces hard coatings contact stiffness Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 25 Sep, 2025 Read the published version in Tribology Letters → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 08 Jul, 2025 Reviews received at journal 06 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 03 Jun, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 09 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6628698","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":468196107,"identity":"17e04b5d-bd92-4ca5-8cb1-0df4c1d44412","order_by":0,"name":"Yizhang Lian","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Taiyuan University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yizhang","middleName":"","lastName":"Lian","suffix":""},{"id":468196108,"identity":"b4e7a22c-0d17-402f-b983-310c466ad246","order_by":1,"name":"Xueliang 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