Methods of Adhesion Measurement for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives: Theory and Practice

ABOUT THE COURSE:Adhesives are ubiquitous and range from solvent based polymeric solutions as available in glue tubes, to adhesive emulsions/gels/pastes available in bottles to soft elastic/viscoelastic layers as found on adhesive tapes. The kind of adhesive that we will focus on in this course are called pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA) which are commonly seen in adhesive tapes of various types, labels in packages, glue layer for assembling electronic items, as the grip of a robotic hand and even in biology at the feet of many organisms. While adhesion between two bodies occur because of attractive interactions, the physical mechanisms that enhance the adhesion strength in these different situations, from what would have been expected from purely energy considerations, vary depending on the specific requirement. For example, in some applications we need permanent adhesion, whereas in others we look for a reusable tape that can be used over and over again. Hence there is a need to understand these mechanisms and also develop tools to estimate such enhancement. The objective of the course will be to go through different fundamental and practical aspects of adhesion in general and PSAs in particular.INTENDED AUDIENCE: PG students of Mechanical Engg., Chemical Engg., Material Sci., Physics, Engineers who are involved with manufacture and testing of PSAsPREREQUISITES: UG Solid MechanicsINDUSTRY SUPPORT: Manufacturers of adhesive tapes are expected to find this course (or part of this course) helpful.