Numerical explorations of solvent borne adhesives: a lattice-based approach to morphology formation

Abstract

The internal structure of adhesive tapes determines the effective mechanical properties. This holds true especially for blended systems, here consisting of acrylate and rubber phases. In this paper, we propose a lattice-based model to study numerically the formation of internal morphologies within a four-component mixture (of discrete particles) where the solvent components evaporate. Mimicking numerically the interaction between rubber, acrylate, and two different types of solvents, relevant for the technology of adhesive tapes, we aim to obtain realistic distributions of rubber ball-shaped morphologies — they play a key role in the overall functionality of those special adhesives. Our model incorporates the evaporation of both solvents and allows for tuning the strength of two essentially different solvent-solute interactions and of the temperature of the system.