Linking electrostatic charging profiles to patterns on peeled tape

It is well-known that friction produces static charging which has intensely interwoven the histories of tribology and static electrification. However, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon continue to remain under investigation as triboelectrification is often unpredictable.[1] One method of studying this is by peeling adhesive tape since it replicates the separation of two contacting surfaces. Within this talk, we discuss relationships between distinct patterns from peeled tape and quantitative voltage data acquired during the peeling process. We contextualize these findings within industry and nature and describe new avenues for this field.

[1] D. Lacks, Angew. Chem. (Int. Ed.) 51, 6822-6823 (2012)