Electrostatic self-cleaning gecko-like adhesives

This paper describes the use of the electrostatic element of an electrostatic/gecko-like adhesive to repel dust particles, which have been shown to significantly affect adhesion and reliability. The result is a non-destructive, non-contact cleaning method that can be used in conjunction with other cleaning techniques, many of which rely on physical contact between the fibrillar adhesive and substrate. The paper focuses on experimental evaluation of the repulsion of 100 μm glass beads as a function of wave shape, frequency, phase number and electrode direction in relation to the gecko-like features. Results show that a two-phase square wave with the lowest practically feasible frequency can remove 100 μm glass beads from a directional gecko-like adhesive with up to 70% efficiency. Finally, using the optimized electrostatic cleaning properties, results show an approximately 25% recovery in shear stress on a rough glass for three contaminated directional gecko-like adhesives after contact with a dusty table.