Frictionless contact of a rigid punch indenting an elastic layer having piezoelectric properties

This article is concerned with the study of frictionless contact between a rigid punch and an elastic layer having piezoelectric properties. The rigid punch is assumed to be axially symmetric and is supposed to be pressing the elastic layer through an applied load on it. The layer is resting on a rigid base and is assumed to be sufficiently thick in comparison with the amount of indentation by the rigid punch. The relationship between the applied load and the contact area is obtained by solving the mathematically formulated problem through the use of Hankel transform of different orders. Variations of stresses and electric displacements on the surface of the layer and the piezoelectric effects on the load contact area relationship as well as normal stress have been numerically evaluated and shown graphically.