Chain Conformation Analysis of the Adhesion between Grafted Polymer Films and their Glass Transition Temperatures

Abstract

Adhesion between two polymer films consisting of end grafted polymers has been studied by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The grafting density of the polymer film and the topology of the grafting polymer (one-end grafted polymer; the straight polymer) and the two-end grafted polymer (the loop polymer) is varied. Using these grafting films, I studied the debonding behavior by varying the temperature. I could find three types of separation patterns; fibril, cavity and brittle separation. The series of simulations shows that the glass transition temperature of the film is one of the important parameters to distinguish between the fibril or the brittle and the cavity separation.