What is it and how it's made
The adhesive tape is a product consisting of a support, a liner and a pressure sensitive adhesive, hence the term (pressure sensitive adhesive). This adhesive is effective at room temperature and doesn’t requirs chemical or environmental activation (water, additives, temperature, etc...).
The adhesive tape is applied directly on the affected area by only making a single push.
There are two types of self-adhesive tapes.
| Single-sided adhesive tape: | The adhesive is applied only to a part of the backing. |
| Double-sided adhesive tape: | The adhesive is applied on both sides of the backing. |
Composition of the adhesive tape
- SUPPORT: material on which is applied the adhesive
- LINER: removable material, which protects the substrate adhesive and which is removed before application. Usually the liner is in paper or plastic film and both are treated with release agents
- ADHESIVE: natural or modified (see above)
- CORE: the inner cylinder of cardboard or plastic which on the tape is wrapped
Main types of support
| Bi-oriented polypropylene | (BOPP) |
| Mono-oriented polypropylene | (MOPP) |
| Polyvinyl Chloride | (PVC) |
| Polyester | (PET) |
| Low Density Polyethylene Foam | (LDPE) |
| High Density Polyethylene Foam | (HDPE) |
| Polyurethane foam | (PUR) |
| Non-Woven | (TNToTISSUE) |
Main types of adhesive
| Natural Rubber | This is a mixture of natural rubber (caucciù), hydrocarbon and natural resins more various additives, dissolved in hydrocarbon solvents. |
| Hot melt | It is a mixture of synthetic rubbers, hydrocarbon and natural resins and various additives, obtained hot, and cooled after application (coating) on the backing. |
| Aqueous Emulsion | Adhesives based on acrylic polymers, dispersed in water, with the addition of additives. |
| Solvent Acrylic | Based on acrylic polymers dissolved in solvents. With the addition of resins and additives the adhesive becomes acrylic modified solvent. |
The types of liner used, are usually made of paper or plastic film, specially siliconized to prevent the adhesive from sticking.
Useful info
Adhesive tapes are used in various fields and for different applications. Each product has been designed to meet specific demands, nevertheless, by its nature, it lends itself to be used for many situations.
It’s very important to examine the nature of the surfaces and their conformation (smooth, rough, etc...), as well as their permeability to the adhesive mass.
It’s essential that the surface is clean and dry.