Making Higher Performance Adhesives That Are Charged, Debondable, and Tough
Abstract
With the Navy operating in wet environments, creating strong bonds is a perpetual problem for underwater repairs, construction, and special operations. Although such performance is difficult for man-made adhesives, marine biology has already solved the wet adhesion problem and provides design cues for the development of biomimetic materials. Goals for this project are to: AIM 1: Create high performing adhesives with cations, anions, and polycondensation; AIM 2: Generate adhesives from renewable resources and with controlled debonding; AIM 3: Design the ideal adhesive by enhancing material toughness. This work begins with polymer design, follows to development of synthetic routes for access to the target polymers, and then progresses to functional assays with bulk adhesion tests. Redesign of polymers can be examined as needed. Formulation efforts may also be performed in order to bring these new materials closer to practical use by Navy. Results from prior ONR support show that this biomimetic approach to materials design is working well and has already generated adhesives with high underwater bonding strength. The experiments proposed will build upon such successes in order to advance the Navy mission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 23, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912342
Entities
People
- Jonathan Wilker
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Virginia