Adhesive Tape Basics Tutorial How To

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Basics

"Pressure sensitive adhesive tape can be defined as a continuous flexible strip of cloth, paper, metal, plastic or foam coated on one or both sides with a permanently tacky adhesive at room temperature which will adhere to a variety of surfaces with light pressure (finger pressure) with no phase change (liquid to solid) and usually in roll form. PSAs can be blends of natural or synthetic rubber and resin, acrylic, silicone or other polymer systems, with or without additives." - Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC)

About: Single Coated Tapes

For a single coated tape, an adhesive is applied to only one side of the backing. The backing may be paper, polymeric film, foil, nonwoven or high thread count woven cloth. The adhesive may be an acrylic, rubber or silicone based adhesive system.

The construction of single coated tapes typically has a backing 1-10mils thick and an adhesive thickness of 2-5 mils. The tape may be self wound with a release coating applied to the backing, or it can be lined with a paper or film release liner.

Examples of single coated tapes are electrical, masking, carton sealing and medical.

Some single-coated tapes, such as filament tape and duct tape, also feature reinforcements of woven cloth or glass strands, and typically are paired with rubber based adhesive systems.

About: Adhesive Transfers

Adhesive transfer tapes consist of a release liner and an adhesive. The release liner is generally a paper double coated with a silicone release agent, and generally features an acrylic adhesive.

Examples of adhesive transfers include tapes for envelope sealing, graphic attachment, and splicing.

About: Double Coated Tapes

Double coated tapes are created when an adhesive is coated onto both sides of a carrier material. The tape is then wound with a release liner, commonly paper that has been coated on both sides with a silicone release agent. The carrier is typically a polymeric film, and the adhesive (acrylic, rubber, or silicone) may be the same or different on either side of the carrier, as well as offering different coating thicknesses.

Some examples of double coated tapes are mounting, medical, and membranes.

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About: Peel Adhesion

Peel adhesion is the measurement of the adhesive or bond strength between two materials, and is generally expressed in ounces/inch. Peel adhesion can be tested by 90° peel, or pulling the tape perpendicularly to itself, or 180° peel, or pulling the tape back onto itself. This test supplies necessary information about the bond strength of the adhesive and a substrate, and is usually carried out on stainless steel.

About: Elongation

Elongation is the amount a tape is able to stretch without breaking, and is generally expressed in a percentage. Some tapes have a creped, or somewhat wrinkled, backing that allows the tape to have more stretch and conformability.

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About: Tensile Strength

Tensile strength is the measure of force required to break a piece of tape by pulling on opposite ends of the piece, and is usally expressed in pounds per inch.

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Recommended Tape Thickness

The thickness of a tape is generally dependent on the substrate, or surface, that is to be bonded. The accompanying chart can be used to assist in determining proper adhesive thickness.

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Choosing A Backing Type

There are many factors that can go into choosing the correct backing type for your adhesive materials. The accompanying chart can be used to assist in the decision-making process to determine the ideal backing type.

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Choosing an Adhesive

Pressure sensitive adhesives generally have one of four general adhesive formulations - Rubber, Standard Acrylic, Modified Acrylic, or Silicone. While there are a variety of types within each category, knowing the basics of each of the four main formulations can help you make initial decisions in your product research.

Surface Energy

Surface energy, measured in dynes/cm, is basically a measure of how easy it is for a tape to stick to a given surface. The higher the surface energy, the easier it is for a tape to stick to the surface - the lower the surface energy, the harder.