Ladybug-inspired hierarchical composite adhesives for enhanced surface adaptability
Author(s): |
Tao Wang
Ping Gu Tianyan Gao Haoyu Li Ting Meng Peng Zhang Yang Zhao |
---|---|
Medium: | journal article |
Language(s): | English |
Published in: | Smart Materials and Structures, 9 August 2024, n. 9, v. 33 |
Page(s): | 095026 |
DOI: | 10.1088/1361-665x/ad6850 |
Abstract: |
Enhanced adhesion on rough surfaces is highly desired for a wide range of applications. On the other hand, surface roughness compatibility and structure stability are two critical but competing factors for biologically-inspired dry adhesives in the real world. Inspired by ladybug, a hierarchical structural composite dry adhesive (denoted as PP-M) with enhanced robustness on surface roughness is developed, which is composed of a thin compliant contact layer (a thin soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film supported discretely by PDMS micropillars) and a rigid bottom layer magnetorheological elastomers (MREs). The PP-M shows a high pull-off strength of 8.2 N cm−2 on a smooth surface and nano-scale rough surface at a mild preload (2 N cm−2). For micro-scale rough surfaces, the PP-M exhibits better surface adaptability compared to the double-layered adhesive (PDMS on MRE) without micropillar support. The increased compliance of the contact layer also leads to a 2.11 fold superior pull-off strength at a wider range of roughness (Sq > 2.23 μm). Element analysis confirms PP-M’s enhanced adaptability, attributed to deeper indentation and lower contact stress. This hierarchical composite structure in PP-M, characterized by a ‘soft on top and hard on bottom’ stiffness distribution, synergizes the flexible contact layer with the stiff MRE bottom layer, leading to superior adhesive properties. The results provide a new reference for achieving enhanced adhesion on rough surfaces. |
- About this
data sheet - Reference-ID
10790655 - Published on:
01/09/2024 - Last updated on:
01/09/2024