Internal Loss in Sticky Crumpled Matter

There has recently been a surge of interest aimed towards understanding the load bearing ability of randomly confined thin films (crumpled matter). Advances have been made; notably, the discovery that adhesion plays a major role in setting the magnitude of the compressive strength of a crumple. In this work we explore the details of this relation in greater depth, through confocal microscopy and compression testing of thin, sticky, crumpled polymer films. Specifically, we explore the dynamics of compression as a means of unraveling the mechanisms of adhesion within the structures.