Generalized characteristics of peel tests independent of peel angle and tape thickness

•Adhesion energy of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs), GC, has a threshold value, GC0, at sufficiently low strain rate.•GC−GC0, is proportional to the maximum stretch of PSA layer and follow the power law relationship with strain rate.•Cavities appear by peeling a thin PSA layer at a small angle and decrease the adhesion energy. The peel tests of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes were conducted to clarify the effect of the peel velocity, peel angle, and tape thickness. We focused on the viscoelastic deformation of the PSA layer and its relationship with the adhesion energy. It was found that, at a sufficiently low strain rate of the PSA layer, the adhesion energy has a threshold value of debonding. In addition, the increase of adhesion energy from the threshold value is proportional to the maximum stretch of the PSA layer and follows a power law relationship with the strain rate. The general relationship between the adhesion energy and the strain of PSA layer, independent from the peel angle and tape thickness, was established.