Abstract

Release agents are used in a wide variety of industries to control or eliminate the adhesion between surfaces. Key product requirements and trends are reviewed and a classification based on chemical type is presented. The mechanisms of release are reviewed, emphasizing the importance of minimizing both the strength of the interaction across the interface and the degree of contact. The dominant role of materials such as those based on aliphatic hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon entities or particulate solids is thus explained. Simple thermodynamic arguments are presented stressing the need for release surfaces to have lower surface energies than the substrates they are designed to function with. Industrial applications are succinctly summarized, focusing on the specific needs of each particular application and the types of release agents currently used therein. The categories considered are metal, glass, rubber, plastics, textiles, adhesive transfer processes, furniture, and food. Economic aspects and health and safety factors are also briefly considered.