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RELEASE FORCE UNDERSTANDING – RECENT FINDINGS

Robert Ekeland, Ph.D., Associate Scientist
James S. Tonge, Ph.D., Associate Scientist
Glenn V. Gordon, Ph.D., Senior Research Specialist

Dow Corning Corporation, Midland, MI

The practical application of elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane coatings for the release of organic adhesives has been advanced at an accelerated rate by applying fracture mechanic principles to what was previously viewed as a complicated surface energy problem. Through the efforts of several research groups, including the work spearheaded by M. Chaudhury, new insights have been gained about the role release plays in applications ranging from bio-fouling to organic pressure-sensitive adhesives. The rapid increase in learning can be attributed to the reduction of diverse release problems to a single, unifying approach and by considering the frictional and viscoelastic forces operating across the siloxane-organic interface.