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Published on: September 27, 2021
Biologically inspired crack trapping for enhanced adhesion
Nicholas J Glassmaker1, Anand Jagota, Chung-Yuen Hui
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University, Iacocca Hall, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
Summary
Engineered fibrillar adhesion surfaces mimic nature, achieving 9x greater adhesion energy. This robust design traps cracks, enhancing material attachment and overcoming limitations of prior synthetic structures.
Area of Science:
- Biomimetics and Adhesion Science
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Surface Mechanics
Background:
- Natural fibrillar structures provide exceptional adhesion.
- Previous synthetic mimics face robustness and contact property challenges.
- Understanding crack propagation is key to adhesion enhancement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a synthetic fibrillar adhesion surface inspired by nature.
- To enhance adhesion energy and improve structural robustness.
- To investigate the mechanism behind enhanced adhesion.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a synthetic structure with protruding fibrils and thin plates.
- Experimental measurement of adhesion energy compared to a flat control.
- Analysis of crack trapping mechanisms within the fibrillar geometry.
Main Results:
- Achieved up to a 9-fold increase in adhesion energy over flat surfaces.
- Demonstrated superior robustness compared to previous synthetic adhesion structures.
- Identified crack trapping in compliant contact regimes as the adhesion enhancement mechanism.
Conclusions:
- The synthetic fibrillar geometry effectively mimics natural adhesion.
- The design enhances adhesion by controlling interfacial crack propagation.
- This approach offers a robust and high-performance solution for adhesion applications.
