Biologically Inspired Polymer Micro-Patterned Adhesives
Abstract
Synthetic micro-pillar dry adhesives were developed based on the micro- and nano-structures used by geckos and beetles. These bio-inspired adhesives will supplement the existing respirator peripheral seal to enhance protection in wet or dirty environments and during head movements. Polyurethane microfiber arrays were fabricated with various geometries. Adhesion was measured on hard, soft, rough, and smooth surfaces. Small diameter, spatulate-tipped microfibers showed the greatest adhesion on all substrates. The sealing capability of an encapsulated fiber array surpassed the requirements of the military exhalation valve leakage test. Additional work is required to optimize the fiber material and geometry to achieve the required adhesion for respirator face seals. The U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) is investigating novel sealing technologies for respiratory protective masks to address current shortfalls in operational performance due to improper fitting and donning practices. One promising area is biologically inspired dry adhesives. Geckos, spiders, beetles, flies, and many other climbing lizards and insects have a variety of sub-millimeter scale fibers on their feet to robustly and efficiently climb on a wide range of smooth and rough surfaces. These microlnano structures enable strong, robust, and repeatable adhesion and friction in addition to being self-cleaning of dirt and other contaminants on surfaces. This work aims to investigate the usage of a synthetic version of these fibrillar adhesion mechanisms in improving mask sealing performance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA491482
Entities
People
- Eugene Cheung
- Metin Sitti
Organizations
- Edgewood Chemical Biological Center