Stability of peeling for systems with rate independent decohesion energy

The stability of peeling is theoretically investigated for systems with rate independent decohesion energy. The effects of the system stiffness, tape geometry and variation of the bonding energy along the tape-substrate interface are analyzed. The conditions for having stable (controlled) or unstable (brutal) peeling are obtained analytically. The problem studied can provide insights on possible instabilities affecting the detachment process of gecko’s toes and other biological systems.