What is Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tape?

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.

Composition of Adhesive Tapes

Backing or Carrier

Adhesive

Single/Double Coated Tapes

Adhesive Transfer Tapes

COMPOSITION OF ADHESIVE TAPES

Components of adhesive tape.

Backing or Carrier
Adhesive
Liner
Core
- Measurement ID of the roll
Mils = thickness of tape
- 1/1,000 of an inch

BACKING OR CARRIER

The primary component of tape upon which an adhesive is applied.

Paper
Cloth
Foam
Metal Foil
Plastic Film/Polymer
PET/Polyester
Polyimide
Vinyl/PVC

ADHESIVE

Any material that will usefully hold two or more objects together solely by intimate surface contact

Acrylic
Rubber
Silicone

SINGLE / DOUBLE COATED TAPES

Single-coated tapes have an adhesive on one side. Double-coated tapes have adhesive on both sides of a carrier material, and is used for attaching two surfaces together.

Single Coated
- Adhesive on one side
- Usually self-wound
- May have liner

Double Coated
- Adhesive on both sides
- Always has a release liner
- May have double liner (most do not)

ADHESIVE TRANSFER TAPES

Adhesive transfer tape does not have a carrier. Instead, straight adhesive is supplied on a double-coated release liner and wound on a roll. Sometimes the adhesive is sandwiched between two liners.