You can define a set of data that is referred to by an interaction but is independent of the interaction; for example, the coefficients that define friction during contact. This set of data is called an interaction property. One interaction property can be referred to by many different interactions.
You can create the following types of interaction properties:
Contact
A contact interaction property can define tangential behavior (friction and elastic slip) and normal behavior (hard, soft, or damped contact and separation). In addition, a contact property can contain information about damping, thermal conductance, thermal radiation, and heat generation due to friction. A contact interaction property can be referred to by a general contact, surface-to-surface contact, or self-contact interaction.
Film condition
A film condition interaction property defines a film coefficient as a function of temperature and field variables. A film condition interaction property can be referred to only by a film condition interaction.
Actuator/sensor
An actuator/sensor interaction property provides the PROPS, JPROPS, NPROPS, and NJPROPS variables that are passed into a UEL user subroutine used with an actuator/sensor interaction.