A generalized cohesive zone model of the peel test for pressure-sensitive adhesives

The peel test is a commonly used testing method for adhesive strength evaluation. The test involves peeling a pressure-sensitive tape away from a substrate and measuring the applied peel force. In the present study, a cohesive zone model, in which the adhesive fails cohesively, is proposed to analyze the mechanics of the peel test. The proposed model is capable of predicting the dependence of the peel force, as well as the traction distribution across the peel front, on factors such as the peel rate, the peel angle, the nature of the adhesive, the mechanical properties and geometries of the backing and the substrate.