Adhesion in Model Polymer-Solid Interphases: Relation between the Nanoscopic Interphase and Macroscopic Adhesion

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Manfred Stamm
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2008 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 67581446

For numerous practical applications, the adhesion between polymers and inorganic substrates, fibres or particles is of essential interest. Already the fundamental adhesion is a complex process which on the one hand is directly correlated to the formation of an interphase between polymer and substrate, but on the other hand depends on materials properties in a relatively large plastic deformation region which exceeds largely the interphase (practical adhesion). Details of adhesion are, however, not deeply understood. The present proposal suggests to use well defined model polymer systems with tailored interfaces, combining the nanoscopic investigation of polymer-inorganic interphases by advanced characterisation techniques with measurements of macroscopic adhesion between polymer and inorganic substrate. This requires dedicated structure and morphology analysis at different length scales and on different aspects of the interphase and the region nearby during deformation. Kinetics related to relaxation processes also play a significant role and different stages during pull-off will be frozen in for detailed characterization of morphological aspects. Influence of surface functionalisation as well as roughness will be considered. The analysis of results in comparison to theoretical models will help to understand the relation between microscopic interphase and macroscopic adhesion to obtain a better basic understanding of adhesion processes.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1369: Polymer Solid Contacts: Interfaces and Interphases