Continuous and discontinuous contact problems of a functionally graded piezoelectric layer resting on a homogeneous piezoelectric half plane.

In this study, the plane continuous and discontinuous contact problems between a graded piezoelectric layer and a homogeneous piezoelectric half plane are considered. The layer is pressed by a rigid conducting flat punch with an electrical load. The problem is converted using Fourier integral transform into a singular integral equation. This equation is then solved numerically by applying the Gauss-Chebychev integration formula. The primary objective of this article is to investigate the effect of varying several parameters including the contact length, the mechanical and electrical loads, and the graded layer non-homogeneity parameter on the contact stresses and on the normal electric displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]