Polymer Adhesion and Biomimetic Surfaces for Green Tribology

Abstract

Adhesive properties of polymeric materials and modern techniques of surface modification make polymers appropriate for Green Tribology applications, which require functional surfaces and the ability to control, and modify and surface properties, such as adhesion and wetting. Polymers, along with polymer composites, are appropriate materials for coating and various biomimetic applications, such as those utilizing the Lotus and gecko effects. In this chapter, we review polymer properties relevant to adhesion and wetting, modern methods and techniques of surface modification which are used to synthesize and produce superhydrophobic biomimetic materials as well as the methods of surface characterization. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.