Final answer:
Adhesive bonding offers the advantage of an even distribution of stress, as opposed to the increased stress concentration caused by mechanical fasteners. It also results in improved aesthetics and can enhance the stability of adhesion under force.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing adhesive bonding with mechanical fasteners, one significant advantage of adhesives is the even distribution of stress across the bonded area. Unlike mechanical fasteners, which typically concentrate stress around the fastener holes, adhesives spread the load over the entire bonding surface. This reduces the likelihood of material failure due to stress concentrations, which is a pertinent issue for many systems from a micro to macro scale. Additionally, improved aesthetics can often be achieved with adhesives, as there are no visible fasteners interrupting the surface of the material.
From a physical standpoint, adhesive bonding can enhance the stability of stationary adhesion clusters under force. This concept has been modelled considering molecules near an adhesive surface that can break (rupture rate) or rebind (rebinding rate) in a stochastic manner, reflecting the dynamic interaction between adhesive surfaces and their environment.
Finally, adhesive bonding can also contribute to the physical stability of adhesion sites through mechanisms like growth under force, which biological focal adhesions utilize to protect against instability factors such as force and elasticity limits. This growth is governed by adsorption kinetics based on chemical potential differences, which defines the rate of material adhesion and coverage over time.