Effect of model fillers on the adhesive strength of pressure-sensitive tapes

—The effect of various model fillers, namely glass beads, 'Spheriglass', and PTFE powder, on the adhesive strength of natural rubber (NR) and poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) tapes has been investigated. Glass fillers treated with alkyl chlorosilane were also used. The adhesive strength was measured over a range of rates and temperatures, and corrections for the thickness of the adhesive and volume fraction of the polymer were introduced into the rate term. It was observed that the adhesive strength of PBA tapes filled with 20% PTFE is comparable to that of the control sample without filler. The strength measured over a range of strain rates increased for both untreated and treated Spheriglass-filled adhesives. Filled NR adhesives showed an enhanced strength only at very high strain rates. With 40% PTFE, this increase was quite apparent. The mechanism of improvement of the strength of adhesion due to the incorporation of a filler is explained. The addition of a filler introduces an additional mechanism of energy dissipation during deformation of the adhesive and a higher energy will be expended due to debonding of the filler and hysteresis.