A finite element framework for the simulation of bio-inspired adhesives with mushroom-shaped microstructures

This work proposes a finite element procedure for the simulation of biologically inspired adhesives with a mushroom-shaped patterned surface by formulating a novel interface finite element. The proposed computa- tional method can capture the attachment and detachment mechanisms without modeling the microstructures on the surface in detail, which is the major issue of large-scale simulations involving complex surfaces. A data- driven phenomenological interface constitutive law has been formulated starting from pull-out experimental tests on patterned surfaces with different inclination angles to assess Mode Mixity effects in a range of peeling angles of relevance for applications. The proposed computational model represents a versatile tool for modeling structural problems involving arbitrary shape components, as in bio-inspired adhesives.