Peeling performance of a novel light switchable pressure-sensitive adhesive

Work has been carried out to characterise the peeling performance of a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) that is capable of reducing its level of adhesion (switching) when exposed to visible light. The reduction in peel strength was found to be dependant on the intensity of light used to switch the adhesive and the irradiation time. The effect of the wavelength of light used to switch the adhesive was also investigated to some extent by the use of natural sunlight. Peel strength data demonstrated a ceiling in the switching performance for light intensities over 2000 Lux, but a greater sensitivity was noted for intensities of 200–1000 Lux.