The process of adhesion or its inverse, abhesion and what it offers the physical world is nothing short of miraculous. Without it, water wouldn’t be a liquid, cells wouldn’t be able to stick to each other, insects couldn’t travel very far on land or water, bricks and mortar wouldn’t work, paper wouldn’t exist or writing or most technology for that matter… It is, therefore, quite surprising that despite the importance of such a phenomena, it does not take centre place in most science text books or in any educational course, with the exception of adhesive bonding but you’d be hard pressed to find one in the UK or in many parts of the world! It is even more ironic that the industrialised production and use of formulated adhesive materials is probably man’s oldest process, with evidence stretching back over 130,000 years.
Composite materials, of which there are many, are inextricably tied up with adhesives or their close relatives, polymer resins. The resin acts as a matrix and holds the fibres together within the material ensuring that the fibres can carry the load in the right direction. This combination gives rise to amazingly light materials with strength and load carrying properties equivalent to metals such as steel, titanium and aluminium. It is true that the fibres do the ‘heavy lifting’ but without the resin the outer structure of the Boeing Dreamliner (787) would be like trying to fly off in a black knitted jumper! The need to understand, use and design composite materials in their own unique way and not like a ‘black metal’ is key to realising amazing structures and properties, not just now but for the future.
This course will enable you to develop an appreciation of adhesion and adhesion technology, how it is exploited everywhere and in particular its importance to composite materials. There will be a chance to explore how bonding works, what the limitations are and how strong it really is, in addition to appreciating the challenges associated with new materials, combining different materials and what can go wrong. The talks will include a number of practical demonstrations and structures of interest, including the opportunity to see just how strong plastic bag material can really be and the potential benefits of a totally green world where water is the only chemical you can safely use.
