Peeling off an elastica from a smooth attractive substrate

Xabier Oyharcabal (1) , Thomas Frisch (1)

1 IRPHE - Institut de Recherche sur les Phénomènes Hors Equilibre

Using continuum mechanics, we study theoretically the unbinding of an inextensible rod with free ends attracted by a smooth substrate and submitted to a vertical force. We use the elastica model in a medium-range van der Waals potential. We numerically solve a nonlinear boundary value problem and obtain the force-stretching relation at zero temperature. We obtain the critical force for which the rod unbinds from the substrate as a function of three dimensionless parameters, and we find two different regimes of adhesion. We study analytically the contact potential case as the van der Waals radius goes to zero.

Xabier Oyharcabal, Thomas Frisch. Peeling off an elastica from a smooth attractive substrate. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2005, 71, n° 3, Art. 036611, p. 1-6. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.71.036611⟩. ⟨hal-00014883⟩