Adhesion-Regulating Agents and Methods For Tuning Adhesion Strength of Acrylic Adhesives By Substrate Modification

1 . A method of installing a removable material layer onto a substrate surface, the method comprising:

applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, said adhesion-regulating agent consisting essentially of:

at least one of a polar aprotic solvent or at least one of a polar protic solvent; and

at least one titanate; and

placing a material layer onto the adhesion-regulated substrate surface, said material layer comprising an adhesive layer, said adhesive layer oriented proximate to the adhesion-regulated substrate surface;

maintaining a degree of adhesion between the material layer and adhesion-regulated substrate surface, with the degree of adhesion ranging from between about 1.0 pound per inch of width to about 4 pounds per inch of width.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

increasing an adhesion value of the material layer to the substrate surface by an amount of at least from about 10% to about 25%.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to the substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the adhesion-regulating agent further comprising:

at least one polar-aprotic solvent, at least one polar-protic solvent, or a mixture of a polar-aprotic solvent and a polar-protic solvent.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the at least one polar aprotic solvent comprising a ketone-containing solvent.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the at least one polar-protic solvent comprising a mixture of an alcohol and naphtha.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the adhesion-regulating agent comprising the at least one polar-aprotic solvent in an amount of from about 95% to about 99% by volume.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion regulated substrate surface, the adhesion-regulating agent comprising the at least one titanate in an amount ranging from about 0.05% to about 0.5% by volume.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the at least one titanate selected from the group consisting of:

at least one of titanium (IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide; titanium bis(triethanolamine)diisopropoxide; titanium (IV) butoxide polymer; titanium (IV) butoxide; titanium (IV) oxyacetylacetonate; titanium (IV) bis(ammonium lactate)dihydroxide; oxobis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedianato) titanium (IV); titanium (IV diisopropoxidebis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate); titanium (IV) diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate); titanium (IV) tert-butoxide; titanium tetraisopropoxide; or titanium (IV) 2-ethylhexyloxide.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to form an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the substrate surface comprising: at least one of a metal, a metal alloy, a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic coated with polyurethane tape, or a coated metal.

10 . The method of claim 4 , wherein, in the step of applying an adhesion-regulating agent to a substrate surface to obtain an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, the ketone-containing solvent consisting of at least one of methyl ethyl ketone, methyl n-propyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or acetone.

11 . An adhesion-regulating agent comprising:

a polar-aprotic solvent or a polar-protic solvent, in an amount ranging from about 95% to about 99% by volume; and

at least one titanate in an amount ranging from about 0.05% to about 0.5% by volume;

wherein the adhesion-regulating agent maintains a degree of adhesion between a material layer of a removable component and an adhesion-regulated substrate surface, with the degree of adhesion ranging from between about 1.0 pound per inch of width to about 4 pounds per inch of width.

12 . The adhesion-regulating agent of claim 11 , wherein the polar-aprotic solvent comprises a ketone-containing solvent.

13 . The adhesion-regulating agent of claim 11 , the at least one titanate selected from the group consisting of at least one of:

titanium (IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide; titanium bis(triethanolamine)diisopropoxide; titanium (IV) butoxide polymer; titanium (IV) butoxide; titanium (IV) oxyacetylacetonate; titanium (IV) bis(ammonium lactate)dihydroxide; oxobis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedianato) titanium (IV); titanium (IV diisopropoxidebis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate); titanium (IV) diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate); titanium (IV) tert-butoxide; titanium tetraisopropoxide; or titanium (IV) 2-ethylhexyloxide.

14 . The adhesion-regulating agent of claim 11 wherein the polar-protic solvent comprises an alcohol.

15 . The adhesion-regulating agent of claim 11 , wherein the polar-protic solvent comprises an alcohol mixed with naphtha.

16 . The adhesion-regulating agent of claim 12 , the ketone-containing solvent consisting of at least one of: methyl ethyl ketone, methyl n-propyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or acetone.

17 . A flooring assembly comprising:

a floor substrate having a floor substrate surface, said floor substrate surface treated with an adhesion-regulating agent to form an adhesion-regulated floor substrate surface, said adhesion-regulating agent consisting essentially of:

a polar-aprotic solvent or a polar-protic solvent in an amount ranging from about 95% to about 99% by volume; and

at least one titanate in an amount ranging from about 0.15% to about 0.5% by volume;

a removable flooring material said flooring material comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, said pressure sensitive adhesive layer configured to be oriented proximate to the adhesion-regulated floor substrate surface;

wherein the removable flooring material maintains a degree of adhesion to the adhesion-regulated floor substrate surface, with the degree of adhesion ranging from between about 1.0 pound per inch of width to about 4 pounds per inch of width.

18 . The flooring assembly of claim 17 , wherein the floor substrate surface comprises at least one of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic; a coated carbon fiber-reinforced plastic; titanium; a titanium alloy, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy.

19 . The flooring assembly of claim 17 , the at least one titanate selected from the group consisting of at least one of:

titanium (IV) (triethanolaminato)isopropoxide; titanium bis(triethanolamine)diisopropoxide; titanium (IV) butoxide polymer; titanium (IV) butoxide; titanium (IV) oxyacetylacetonate; titanium (IV) bis(ammonium lactate)dihydroxide; oxobis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedianato) titanium (IV); titanium (IV diisopropoxidebis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate); titanium (IV) diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate); titanium (IV) tert-butoxide; titanium tetraisopropoxide; or titanium (IV) 2-ethylhexyloxide.

20 . A vehicle comprising the flooring assembly of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

a manned aircraft, an unmanned aircraft, a manned spacecraft, an unmanned spacecraft, a manned rotorcraft, an unmanned rotorcraft, a satellite, a manned terrestrial vehicle, an unmanned terrestrial vehicle, a manned surface water borne vehicle, an unmanned surface water borne vehicle, a manned sub-surface water borne vehicle, an unmanned sub-surface water borne vehicle, and combinations thereof.