MadSci Network: Chemistry |
Upon a brief check it appears that the microscopic reasons for good or bad adhesion may not be well understood. Since you indicate that you are an undergraduate I suggest that you look in your school's Chemistry/Physics library. In the Physics library there may be a section on Surface Physics. In the Chemistry library I would start with a text such as, Physical Chemistry of Surfaces, 4th ed., by Arthur W. Adamson, Wiley Interscience (1982), Chapter 12, Section 8. Perhaps you could also carry out a literature search on Dialog or some other computer search system. Another chemist who has published fundamental surface studies is Gabor Samorji at U.C. Berkeley(I might have misspelled his name). You could also check out the 3M Company (Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co.) web site (manufacturer of many adhesive materials), or call them with your question. They might refer you to one of their technical staff who could point you in the right direction.
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