Tape Glossary | How to Measure Adhesion | How to Make a Pressure Sensitive Tape

Substrate (Face Stock):

Film – Polymer materials offer many properties desirable in tapes including impermeability, weatherability, thickness, smoothness, chemical resistance, and good dielectric resistance. Films can also provide a range of physical characteristics to meet a variety of application requirements. Some of the basic film substrates are: PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PET (polyester), polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, PFV (polyvinyl fluoride), and PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

Paper – The least expensive tape backing material, offering a wide range of properties. Applications include masking tapes, double-coated, electrical insulation, packaging and surface protection, repulpable splicing.

Fabric – Offers some unique characteristics not available with other backings, justifying fabric’s sometimes higher cost. While cotton and rayon have been most common for hospital and athletic tapes and polycoated for duct tapes, fabrics like polyester, nylon and glass fiber are also used where properties of high tensile strength, flexibility and temperature resistance are required.

Foil – Aluminum, lead, copper tapes are used over a wide range of applications including FRI/EMI shielding, metal repairs, high temperature masking, radiation shielding, and acoustical dampening.

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Adhesives:

Rubber-based adhesives – Natural rubber has been the workhorse polymer of the pressure sensitive adhesive industry for many years. Rubber-based adhesives are especially useful in adhering to low energy surfaces. The main limitations of these adhesives are their inability to withstand high temperatures (uncured); poor oxidation resistance; and rapid degradation when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Acrylic-based adhesives – These systems offer superior ultraviolet light and oxidation resistance. They also offer a wide temperature performance range; excellent moisture resistance; and when properly cured, excellent solvent and chemical resistance.

Polyurethane-based adhesives – They perform best when removability is a prime requirement. They can often be removed after extended residence without leaving any residue. They perform well at very low temperatures and provide superior solvent resistance.

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Release Liner (backing):

An integral part of many pressure sensitive products. Using a wide variety of film and paper substrates coated primarily with silicone. Can be coated 1 or 2 sides with different release values if necessary. Its main function is to protect the adhesive coating, releasing freely and cleanly before application. Often overlooked, careful consideration to smoothness, caliper, diecutability and release are critical, depending on your application.

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