View source for VdW suck-in and suck-on

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[[File:Hinge self assisted assembly demo.png|200px|thumb|right|VdW force is "sucking" the pin into the sleeve. No retention structures neded as they would be needed for the macroscale.]]
[[Van der Waals force]] can be very useful in advanced [[gemstone]] based nanosystems to hold things in place 
* during assembly processes or 
* even in final products.

In particular the VdW force can be uses to hold axles withing chains. <br>
'''Axles literally get "sucked" into their sleeves''' as the higher surface contact area means lower energy. <br>
This is very similar to surface tension energy.
So unlike a (hooks law) linear spring where force is proportional to displacement
one gets a near constant force over displacement.

By choosing contact area profiles (easier for planar surfaces) one can emulate all kind on nonlinear spring behaviors. 

* {{wikitodo|Add image of extendable soap bubble skin in rectangular wireframe}}
* {{wikitodo|Add math showing that at room-temperature thermally activated axle displacements are negligible even for very small crystolecules}}

== A note on sticking strength ==

The strength of VdW bonds is not to be underestimated. <br>
Weak bonds can be shaken open by thermal motion from heating. But ... <br>
It does not take much contact surface area at all such that <br>
the required temperature would be so high that <br>
the [[gemstone]] base material would start to melt (or decompose) before the contact sticking becomes shaken apart.

Much boosted by the situation that the wole [[crystolecule]] made from many many atoms <br>
does just get kT energy for each of it's few DOFs of motion. 

* {{wikitodo|Make a temperature vs area chart for diamond to diamond planar contact}}

== Related ==

* [[Van der Waals force sticking]] - {{wikitodo|fator parts out to this page}}
* [[Van der Waals force]]
* [[Energy, force, and stiffness]]
* [[Comparison of mechanical character of different bonds types]]
* [[Intuitive feel]]
* [[Crystolecules]]