Adhesion

Spider web with water

Description

The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces, which may consist of valence forces or interlocking action or both (ASTM definition). For example, chemical forces adhere a coating to a substrate, while mechanical forces hold particles from a pencil mark to paper. A related term, cohesion, applies to similar forces acting on the inside of a material resulting in the material holding itself together.

Synonyms and Related Terms

adheze (Ces.); adhæsion (Dan.); Adhäsion (Deut.); adhesión (Esp.); adhesie (Ned.); adhezja (Pol.);

Resources and Citations

• ASTM, "Standard Terminology Relating to Paint, Varnish, Lacquer and Related Products", Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section 6, Paints, Related Coatings and Aromatics, ASTM, D16, 7-Jan, Jul-96

• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhesion (Accessed Feb. 2, 2006)

• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988