Intermittent stick-slip dynamics during the peeling of an adhesive tape from a roller

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates the complex interplay of high-frequency stick-slip and low-frequency pendular oscillations during adhesive tape peeling, revealing how these dynamics influence fracture energy and challenge existing assumptions.

Contribution

It uncovers the coupling between stick-slip dynamics and pendular oscillations, showing how slow roller oscillations induce intermittency in the peeling process.

Findings

Identification of high-frequency stick-slip oscillations during peeling.

Observation of low-frequency pendular oscillations affecting peeling dynamics.

Correlation between peeling angle and stick-slip amplitude challenges existing models.

Abstract

We study experimentally the fracture dynamics during the peeling at a constant velocity of a roller adhesive tape mounted on a freely rotating pulley. Thanks to a high speed camera, we measure, in an intermediate range of peeling velocities, high frequency oscillations between phases of slow and rapid propagation of the peeling fracture. This so-called stick-slip regime is well known as the consequence of a decreasing fracture energy of the adhesive in a certain range of peeling velocity coupled to the elasticity of the peeled tape. Simultaneously with stick-slip, we observe low frequency oscillations of the adhesive roller angular velocity which are the consequence of a pendular instability of the roller submitted to the peeling force. The stick-slip dynamics is shown to become intermittent due to these slow pendular oscillations which produce a quasi-static oscillation of the peeling angle while keeping constant the peeling fracture velocity (averaged over each stick-slip cycle). The observed correlation between the mean peeling angle and the stick-slip amplitude questions the validity of the usually admitted independence with the peeling angle of the fracture energy of adhesives.