Adhesion of elastomers: Dwell time effects

The strength of adhesion of elastomers to rigid substrates generally increases with time of contact. This effect has been studied for samples of butyl and chlorobutyl rubber adhering to some rigid substrates. The peel strength increased continuously over long periods of contact until in some cases failure became cohesive within the elastomer layer. At higher temperatures the strength increased more rapidly, consistent with the WLF relation governing molecular motions. It is postulated that slow molecular rearrangements occur at the interface and increase the bond strength. A criterion for the observed transition from interfacial to cohesive failure is suggested.