ABSTRACT

Th e use of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) has been steadily increasing in a large domain of industrial applications within the past 30 years [1] (see also Applications of Pressure-Sensitive Products, Chapter 4). Th is evolution is particularly due to the steadily

4.1 Introduction ............................................................ 4-1 4.2 Viscoelastic Properties of Pressure-Sensitive

4.3 Some Models of Debonding: A Story about Cavitation ................................................... 4-15

4.5 Conclusions ........................................................... 4-23 Acknowledgments ......................................................... 4-24 References ....................................................................... 4-24

knowledge of the relationship between the relevant adhesive properties (such as rheological or interface properties) and the composition of the adhesive (primary polymer components, resins, and additives; see also Technology of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives and Products, Chapter 8). At the stage of bond formation, soft (highly viscoelastic) adhesives mainly possess shear deformation, whereas upon debonding, tensile strains may be dominant, when the elongation of the adhesive layer along the direction of the applied detaching force may achieve levels from a few hundred to a few thousand percent. Th e viscoelastic behavior of the adhesive then plays a leading role during bonding and debonding stages.