Pressure-sensitive tape or pressure-sensitive adhesive tape (PSA tape) is an adhesive tape that sticks when pressure is applied without the need for a solvent (such as water) or heat for activation. It is also known in various countries as self-stick tape, sticky tape, or just adhesive tape and tape, as well as genericized trademarks, such as '' Sellotape'', '' Durex (tape)'', '' Scotch tape'', etc. PSA tape consists of three components: *the tape itself, which often is cellophane,

cellulose acetate In biochemistry, cellulose acetate refers to any acetate ester of cellulose, usually cellulose diacetate. It was first prepared in 1865. A bioplastic, cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some coatings, and ...

, or

polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of ...

. Other materials include

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...

, plastic film,

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...

, or metal foil coated onto a backing material such as

, plastic film,

, or metal foil. *a

pressure-sensitive adhesive Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA, self-adhesive, self-stick adhesive) is a type of nonreactive adhesive which forms a bond when pressure is applied to bond the adhesive with a surface. No solvent, water, or heat is needed to activate the adhesive ...

. *

release liner A release liner or ''release paper'', also called a ''backing liner'', is a paper or plastic-based film sheet (usually applied during the manufacturing process) used to prevent a sticky surface from prematurely adhering. It is coated on one or bo ...

, which keeps the tape from sticking to itself. Some have layers of adhesives, primers, release agents, filaments, printing, etc. made for specific functions. It sticks without the need for a solvent such as water or heat for activation. By contrast, "gummed" or "water activated" adhesive tapes require warm water for activation and "heat activated" tapes require heat. Single-sided tapes allow bonding to a surface or joining of two adjacent or overlapping materials. Double-sided tape (adhesive on both sides) allows joining of two items back-to-back.

Varieties of PSA tape

*Adhesive transfer tape does not have a backing material. Instead, adhesive is on a double-coated

for winding on a roll. Sometimes the adhesive is sandwiched between two liners. *Archival tape is similar to transparent office tape, with low-acid adhesives that will not degrade surfaces they are applied to, protecting documents from damage during long-term storage. * Box-sealing tape (also "packing tape"; "parcel tape", UK) is a type of packaging tape which is clear or opaque, and used for closing packages for shipment. It is usually two inches (48 mm) or three inches (72 mm) wide and is made of a

polypropylene Polypropylene (PP), also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications. It is produced via chain-growth polymerization from the monomer Propene, propylene. Polypropylene belongs to the group of polyolefin ...

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

backing. * Drafting tape is similar to masking tape, but with lower tack adhesive so that it may be removed without damaging or leaving residue on paper or other delicate surfaces, and also has pH maintained at 7 so as not to damage the substrate. * Duct tape usually has a plastic-coated fabric backing and a strong adhesive. * Double-sided tape has adhesive on both sides of a backing material, for attaching two surfaces together. *

Electrical tape Electrical tape (or insulating tape) is a type of pressure-sensitive tape used to insulate electrical wires and other materials that conduct electricity. It can be made of many plastics but PVC (polyvinyl chloride, "vinyl") is the most popula ...

(or insulating tape) stretches to conform to irregular objects, and is made of materials like

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

that do not conduct electricity. * Filament tape or "strapping tape" has filaments (usually

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

) embedded into the adhesive for extra strength. * Gaffer tape (or simply "gaff tape") is normally based on a heavy

fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is no ...

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

tape. *Hockey tape or " friction tape" is a somewhat rough cloth tape used for grip on hockey and

lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...

sticks. * Masking tape is used to cover areas that should not be painted. It usually has a paper backing and an adhesive designed to be removed from surfaces (within a limited time). *

Security tape Security tape (or security label) is a type of adhesive tape used to help reduce shipping losses due to pilfering and theft. It helps reduce tampering or product adulteration. It is often a pressure-sensitive tape or label with special tam ...

has special features to make it tamper evident * Speed tape or "600 mile per hour tape" is a metallic foil with an adhesive designed to secure the tape under high-speed airflow and is used on the skins of airplanes * Spike tape is a thinner version of gaffer tape that is usually brightly colored. It is used to mark places of furniture or actors on a stage. * Surgical tape is an adhesive bandage used to hold a dressing on a

wound A wound is any disruption of or damage to living tissue, such as skin, mucous membranes, or organs. Wounds can either be the sudden result of direct trauma (mechanical, thermal, chemical), or can develop slowly over time due to underlying diseas ...

. *Transparent office tape is used for repairing torn paper products, sealing envelopes, general holding, etc. It is a transparent film of cellophane, cellulose,

, or other plastic, with an acrylic or

synthetic rubber A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About of rubber is produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubber, just like natural ru ...

–based adhesive. Clear tape with a matte finish is branded "Scotch Magic Tape" or called "invisible tape". Clear tape is sold in pre-filled single-use tape dispensers and in "refill" rolls for permanent desktop tape dispensers. Famous brands include Sellotape, Scotch Tape, Duck, Tesa, LePage's, Texcel, etc.

Tape glossary

*Backing. The primary component of tape upon which an adhesive is applied. Examples are cloth, paper, metal foil, plastic film, etc. *Conformability. Ability of a tape to make total contact with a rough or uneven surface. *Creped. Paper that has small "folds" to provide stretchability and conformability. *Double-coated, or two-sided tape. Pressure-sensitive tape with adhesive on both sides of the carrier material. *Gapping. Openings between layers of tape within a roll. *Release coating. A very thin coating applied to the impervious tape backing so as to allow the tape to be unwound at a controlled level. *Substrate. The substrate is the material to which the PSA tape must adhere. *Tack. The sticky feel of the tape. It is the initial adhesion without rub-down. *Telescoping. A sideways sliding of the tape layers, one over the other, so that the roll looks like a funnel or telescope. *Unwind. The force to remove or unwind the tape from a roll.

PSA tape standards

The PSA industry is in the process of unifying the several standards presently in use. The most active organizations are: * ISO

International Organization for Standardization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. M ...

: A European AFNOR committee is currently active in the definition of international standards; some of the most common test methods, such as Peel Adhesion, Static Shear Adhesion, Break Strength, and Elongation are presently ISO standard
ASTM
ASTM International has several Technical Committees which write standards related to pressure-sensitive tape.
PSTC
Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (tapes, North America)
TLMI
Tag & Label Manufacturers Institute (labels, North America)
AFERA
European Association for the Self Adhesive Tape Industry (tapes, Europe)
FINAT
Féderation internationale des fabricants et transformateurs d'adhésifs et thermocollants (labels, Europe)

Japanese Adhesive Tapes Manufacturers Association

ASTM International ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical international standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and s ...

has dozens of standards related to pressure-sensitive tape. Some of them are for general types of PSA tape; others are for specific types. For example, ASTM D1000 has test methods for electrical tapes. There are ASTM

specification A specification often refers to a set of documented requirements to be satisfied by a material, design, product, or service. A specification is often a type of technical standard. There are different types of technical or engineering specificati ...

s for many tapes including D2301 for vinyl electrical tape, D5486 for box-sealing tape, etc. Several of the ASTM test methods are coordinated with PSTC, other trade associations, and other international organizations. Following are a few examples of some ASTM standards and counterparts:

Environmental considerations

Life cycle assessments of the tape and the item being taped are useful to identify and improve possible environmental effects. For example, there may be instances where the use of a PSA tape, compared to an alternative solution, improves the overall environmental impact, or vice versa. Reuse or recycling are sometimes aided by a tape being removable from a surface. If a tape remains on an item during recycling, a tape should be chosen which does not hinder the recyclability of the item. For example, when taped

corrugated box Corrugated box design is the process of matching design factors for corrugated fiberboard (sometimes called corrugated cardboard) or corrugated plastic boxes with the functional physical, processing and end-use requirements. Packaging engineers w ...

es are recycled, film-backed box-sealing tapes do not hinder box recycling; the adhesive stays with the backing and is easily removed.

Use by archives

Archives used PSAs to repair tear and losses of paper since around the late 1920s. This is a problem for conservation. Some applications obscure the content under it. In addition, they cause physical and chemical damage. The tape and the paper react differently to the environment, which lead to distortions. Adhesives gradually yellow, penetrate the paper, and harden. Furthermore, some adhesives dissolves ink and cause bleeding. Treatments may involve physical tools, chemicals, and temperature, depending on the material.

History

Pressure-sensitive adhesives were first developed in 1845 by Dr. Horace Day, a surgeon.''Journal of the American Institute for Conservation'', by Merrily A. Smith, Norvell M. M. Jones, II, Susan L. Page and Marian Peck Dirda; JAIC 1984, Volume 23, Number 2, Article 3 (pp. 101–113) Commercial tapes were introduced in the early twentieth century. Hundreds of patents have since been published on a wide variety of formulations and constructions.

References

External links

Pressure Sensitive Tape Council
*{{YouTube, UWBCAjxgKB8, How It's Made: Adhesive Tape, by Science (US) / Discovery Channel (Canada) Adhesive tape Packaging materials Stationery