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Adhesion Testing

images here - maybe three across

What It Is

NOTE: ALL text copied verbatim from SMS, needs editing:

An adhesion test measures the force required to separate two surfaces that have been brought into contact under controlled conditions. It quantifies a product’s adhesive strength, tack, and cohesiveness, helping manufacturers understand how strongly a product sticks to another surface or itself.

Adhesion testing is essential for both desired stickiness (e.g. adhesives, tapes, confectionery) and unwanted tack (e.g. doughs or coatings that cause production issues).

How to test

For any typical texture/physical property measurement test the force to pull away from a sample after it has been deformed would appear in the negative region of the curve.

VIDEOS

In Stable Micro Systems’ Exponent Connect software, a dedicated Adhesive Test allows users to define the approach speed and contact force that a probe presses onto a sample for a specified dwell time to form a consistent bond before pulling away at a Withdrawal speed to a chosen distance, while recording force vs. distance/time.

This unique controlled adhesion mode ensures repeatable adhesion measurements across a wide range of materials and surfaces.

MORE VIDEOS

Types of tests

Simple tack test: A simple tack test briefly brings an adhesive into controlled contact with a probe or substrate under a defined force and time, then measures the peak force (and/or work) needed to separate-this captures the instant stickiness a user feels on first touch.

Peel test: A basic peel test bonds a tape/film/laminate to a substrate, then pulls it back at a fixed angle (commonly 90° or 180°) and speed while recording the steady peel force, giving a clear measure of bond strength during removal in a way that mimics real use.

Properties measured

graph and images

Adhesion testing provides both quantitative and qualitative information about the sample’s stickiness, flexibility, and failure behaviour:

  • Adhesiveness
  • Stickiness
  • Tackiness
  • Peel Force
  • Cohesiveness
  • Tailing
  • Stringiness
  • Legging
  • Work of adhesion
  • Single or multiple parameters such as peak force, peel forces, elongation at break, tailing distance and work of adhesion can be collected from the graph. Understanding these parameters allows direct comparison between samples or production batches.

    To learn more about how these properties are measured, visit our Textural Properties page [NOTE: not yet live].

    A typical adhesion test curve consists of:

    • Compression region: Force as the probe contacts the sample.
    • Peak adhesive force: Maximum tension needed to detach the surfaces (stickiness).
    • Area under the curve: Total work of adhesion (bond energy).
    • Withdrawal distance: Length before detachment - an indicator of stringiness or tailing.

    Adhesion Accessories
    Includes probes, accessories. Compare to SMS's page - I've combined "choosing a probe" with "use cases by industry". Following text is placeholder.

    P/1S

    Spherical Probe

    Analyze the entire stress-strain behavior of a probe test.

    P/1S

    Spherical Probe

    Analyze the entire stress-strain behavior of a probe test.

    Sticky confectionery, mozzarella stringiness, dough stickiness

    CODE

    Cylindrical or Dough Stickiness Rig

    More examples of adhesion

    SMS has a video, which might be worth including just for eye candy

    Continue Learning
    This section would be related application studies. We would probably need to select appropriate studies for each property.

    In this guide, you will learn about the physical characteristics your Texture Analyzer can measure.

    If you have questions or want information specific to your product, don’t hesitate to talk to one of our specialists.

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