Defect Dependent Adhesion of Fibrillar Surfaces

Authors: McMeeking, Robert¹; Arzt, Eduard²; Evans, Anthony³

Source: Journal of Adhesion, Volume 84, Number 7, July 2008 , pp. 675-681(7)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $56.94 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

Measurements of the force required for the pull-off of N polyvinylsiloxane fibrils from glass surfaces reveal that it varies linearly with the total contact perimeter, NS. This finding cannot be rationalized using existing models of adhesion. A new model is introduced which exploits the analogy with rupture of brittle solids; it proposes that fibril detachment under tension is controlled by weakest link defects. The model predicts a power law dependence of the force; i.e., NSn with exponent n varying between 1 and 2. The linear dependence found experimentally arises when the defects are present with broad size dispersion.

Keywords: Defects; Fibrils; Linear scaling; Perimeter length; Pull-off force

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00218460802255558

Affiliations: 1: Mechanical Engineering Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA 2: Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrucken, Germany 3: Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Publication date: 2008-07-01