Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) Development

The main thrust of the proposed research is to develop a new class of high-performance pressure-sensitive adhesives for use with aircraft appliqué films. Our approach merges the conventional pressure-sensitive adhesives technology with recent advances towards development of dry adhesives inspired by the nano-fibrillar structure of gecko-foot. Nano-texturing of pressure-sensitive adhesives is proposed here as a means of producing conformable surfaces which can establish thorough intermolecular contacts with rough substrates under pressure without requiring a liquid-type fluidity. The merger of the two (pressure-induced) adhesion mechanisms would complement the powerful and highly versatile contact mechanics of nano-fibrillar structures with the high adhesion energy and peel resistance of pressure-sensitive adhesives associated with their cavitation/fibrillation during debonding. The conformable nano-textured surfaces would remove a major constraint (the need for liquid-type fluidity) against optimum formulation and processing of pressure-sensitive adhesives with a desirable balance of peel and shear resistance, thermal and chemical stability, and repositionability and removability for use with aircraft applique films. The proposed Phase I research will verify the benefits of nano-texturing to pressure-sensitive adhesives, and will demonstrate the potential to refine the formulations and processing conditions of nano-textured pressure-sensitive adhesives to suit aircraft appliqué film applications.