Finite Element Simulation of Thermal Sliding Friction and Wear in an FGPM-Coated Half-Plane

This study investigates the thermoelastic frictional contact and wear behavior during reciprocating sliding of a conductive cylindrical punch on a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM)-coated half-plane. The thermo-electro-elastic properties of the coating vary continuously along the thickness direction according to arbitrary gradient functions, with thermal parameters being temperature-dependence. A theoretical framework for the coupled thermo-electro-elastic frictional contact problem is developed and solved using the finite element method. A sequential coupling approach is employed to integrate thermoelastic frictional contact with piezoelectric effects. Furthermore, wear on the coating surface is modeled using an improved Archard formulation, accounting for its impact on thermal sliding frictional contact characteristics. Numerical simulations examine the influence of wear, cycle number, friction coefficient, gradient index and gradient form on the coupled thermo-electro-elastic response of the FGPM coating structure. The numerical results demonstrate the gradient index and gradient form can effectively mitigate thermo-electrical contact-induced damage and reduce friction and wear in piezoelectric materials.