Theory 03/Adhesion
Underwater Glue Needs Cure Time
The claim
Mussel attachment strength is set by the ratio of adhesive curing rate to the rate at which the load is applied, so a joint that fails under fast loading holds under slow.
01Mechanism
Curing converts a fluid precursor into a load-bearing network; if load arrives before the network forms, the plaque debonds and never recovers.
02Predictions
- P1Strength should track the ratio.
- P2Cure chemistry alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Strength tracking adhesive composition would remove the loading rate.
04Why it resists the grid
Adhesion is a materials property, a biomechanical one and an ecological one, and the plaque is an organ that is not part of the organism.