Abstract

Adhesion is a complex phenomenon that is studied and described by three scientific disciplines: surface science, engineering mechanics, and polymer physics and chemistry. This article provides an overview of the science of adhesion based in those three disciplines. Adhesion is described primarily from the viewpoint of making and breaking an adhesive bond although the basic concepts also apply to coatings. This article describes adhesion from the viewpoint of intermolecular forces and ties those concepts into strength of materials as well as surface energy. Methods by which adhesive bonds can be tested are also described. The article ends with a discussion that attempts to tie together fundamental forces at interfaces to the strength of an adhesive bond via the polymer physics of the adhesive.