Temporary glues may not steal headlines, but they can make everyday life easier.
Sticky office notes, bandage strips, and painter鈥檚 tape are all examples of adhesives that can be removed with relative ease. There鈥檚 only one drawback: To release any of those glues, the surfaces need to be pulled apart.
Dartmouth researchers have discovered a class of molecular materials that can be used to make temporary adhesives that don鈥檛 require force for removal. These nonpermanent glues won鈥檛 be available as home or office supplies, but they can lead to new manufacturing techniques and pharmaceutical design.
鈥淭his temporary adhesive works in an entirely different way than other adhesives,鈥 says , an assistant professor of chemistry. 鈥淭his innovation will unlock new manufacturing strategies where on-demand release from adhesion is required.鈥
The research focuses on molecular solids, a special class of adhesive materials that exist as crystals. The molecules in the structures are sublimable, meaning that they shift directly from a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid phase.
The ability to bypass the liquid phase is the key to the new type of temporary adhesives. The adhesive sticks as a solid but then turns to a vapor and releases once it is heated in a vacuum environment. There is no need for mechanical force.
According to the research, which was published in the academic journal , the class of molecules that can be used to make these new-generation materials is wider than previously thought.
鈥淲e鈥檝e expanded the list of molecules that can be used as temporary adhesives,鈥 says , Guarini 鈥21, the lead author of the paper. 鈥淚dentifying more materials to work with is important because it offers expanded design strategies for bonding surfaces together.鈥
The research team says that the temporary adhesives can be useful in technical applications such as semiconductor manufacturing, where the need for strong holding power and easy debonding is essential.
David Hirsch can be reached at david.s.hirsch@dartmouth.edu
