Working with a grant from the Air Force's Small Business Innovative Research program, EIC Laboratories Inc. (Norwood, MA) came up with a solution: a high-strength adhesive that disbonds from a metal surface when an electrical current passes across the epoxy-metal interface. Called ElectRelease, the new adhesive is a two-part, amine-cured epoxy.
The typical voltage required to break the bond is 10 to 50 VDC, resulting in a current flow of less than 1 milliampere per square inch of bond line. This low power does not produce heat during disbonding. The parts separate at the positive interface without mechanical, thermal or chemical damage.