A list of adhesive tape suppliers with an explanation of types of adhesive tapes and their use.
You will learn:
Adhesive tape is a product featuring an adhesive layer that bonds, joins materials, and safeguards surfaces. It includes a backing or carrier, such as paper, plastic film, cloth, foam, or foil, coated with adhesive. In some cases, a release liner is added. These coated backings are wound into rolls and split into narrow strips for convenience.
Applying adhesive tape may involve slight pressure, heat, or moisture. The usage depends on the tape's design. Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes stick with pressure, while heat-activated tapes need a heat source. Water-activated tapes, also known as gummed paper or gummed tapes, use a starch or animal glue base and a kraft paper backing that activates when moistened. Non-adhesive films, tapes, or laminates adhere by themselves.
The origin of adhesive tapes can be traced back to the mid-19th century when they were used for medical applications. In 1845, Dr. Horace Day created bandages by incorporating rubber-based adhesive on fabric, leading to Johnson & Johnson’s invention of the Band-Aid. Adhesive tape technology advanced with the introduction of the first masking tapes by 3M in 1923. Over the years, various types of adhesive tapes like packing tape, painter’s tape, and electrical tape have been developed, each serving specific purposes. Today, adhesive tapes are indispensable in offices, homes, stores, and industries, proving to be remarkably versatile and essential.
The array of adhesive tapes available comprises specialized varieties such as packing tape, painter’s tape, and electrical tape, each crafted for unique tasks. These tapes are omnipresent in settings ranging from homes and offices to retail outlets and industrial facilities, underscoring their critical importance and functionality.
Adhesive tapes are efficient and easily accessible, performing functions like joining, masking, sealing, splicing, bundling, and protecting surfaces. They gained widespread use because their application doesn’t require machinery or special equipment. These tapes are light, easy to store, and available in rolls for quick use. Unlike conventional mechanical fasteners like screws and bolts, adhesive tape does not damage the substrate by piercing it, thus avoiding surface stress.
Before the advent of adhesive tapes, bonding and sealing applications typically relied on glues and epoxies. While effective for certain industrial needs, these liquid adhesives were often messy, time-consuming, and dried to form hard, permanent finishes that were difficult to remove. Their bonding process utilizes a chemical reaction that isn’t practical for quick, temporary, or delicate tasks. For industrial assembly, packaging, electrical insulation, automotive repairs, and even household fixes, the need for a clean, convenient, and flexible bonding solution led to the innovation of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes.
Modern adhesive tapes utilize tacky resins—such as silicone adhesives, acrylic adhesives, or synthetic rubber adhesives—to provide instant stickiness. Instead of a reactive chemical bond, these tapes leverage physical action through applied pressure to bond to surfaces (substrates). The adhesive layer in tape products possesses a low-energy surface, with molecules that remain energized and in motion. This results in looser initial bonds, allowing the adhesive to flow—at a microscopic level—into the substrate’s pores. When appropriate pressure is applied, molecules in the adhesive spread into these pores, forming a physical and reversible bond suitable for a variety of applications including mounting, masking, labeling, and electrical insulation.
Adhesion science explains how various types of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) enable strong, reliable bonds between tape and surfaces without the need for heat or solvent activation. The principle of adhesion centers on one set of molecules sticking to another, while cohesion describes how molecules within the adhesive or tape remain linked together. In pressure-sensitive tape engineering, achieving optimal adhesion and cohesion properties is essential for performance across surfaces as diverse as metals, plastics, glass, composites, and painted surfaces.
Several fundamental mechanisms determine how adhesive tape bonds to a surface. Understanding these adhesive mechanisms is crucial for selecting the right tape type—such as double-sided tape, foam tape, duct tape, or specialty tapes—for your application. The process involves four basic adhesion concepts:
The principles governing adhesive performance are grounded in absorption theory, which states that adhesion occurs due to intermolecular contact and attraction at the microscopic level. The four main adhesion mechanisms—all supported by this theory—work in combination depending on the type of tape, adhesive formulation, and the substrate involved. Selecting the best adhesive tape for a project requires understanding both the adhesive’s chemistry and the nature of the adherend surface.
To maximize the bond, adhesives must be evenly applied across the substrate surface. In the case of pressure-sensitive adhesives, the adhesive coating acts as a layer of numerous miniature magnets, attracting and fusing to molecules on the surface. When a strong chemical bond occurs between the adhesive and substrate—sometimes involving a new compound formation via chemisorption—the result is a long-lasting and durable attachment common in industrial adhesive tapes and specialty bonding tapes used in critical applications.
Adhesion: In adhesive tape technology, adhesion describes the ability of a tape to stick securely to a substrate thanks to intermolecular attraction, including van der Waals forces. These interactions depend heavily on the distance between molecules; at less than 0.6 nanometers, attractive forces allow reliable sticking at the microscopic level.
Surface energy is a crucial property influencing the wettability of tapes on various substrates. High surface energy (HSE) materials—such as polycarbonate, PVC, glass, and metals—allow adhesives to spread, penetrate and form strong bonds easily, which is ideal for most mounting tapes and industrial tapes. In contrast, low surface energy (LSE) substrates—like PTFE/Teflon, polyethylene, or powder-coated surfaces—make bonding difficult, necessitating the use of specialized formulations such as LSE acrylic adhesives or surface treatment processes including plasma treatment, corona discharge, or priming.
Surface contaminants—including dust, oil, moisture, fingerprints, and coatings—reduce surface energy and can significantly impair tape adhesion. Proper surface preparation, such as cleaning and pretreating surfaces, elevates surface energy, ensuring robust bonds and preventing tape failure. This step is vital for critical applications in automotive assembly, aerospace, medical device manufacturing, and electronics where performance and reliability matter.
Cohesion: Cohesion describes the internal bond strength of the adhesive, expressed as shear resistance or holding power. High cohesion means the adhesive withstands stress and retains its integrity over time. Essential for tapes subjected to elevated temperatures, humidity, or mechanical forces, high cohesion prevents unwanted flowing, oozing, or tape residue. Engineered tapes—such as silicone tapes, double-sided VHB (Very High Bond) tapes, and high-performance acrylic tapes—are selected for their excellent cohesion in industrial and environmental conditions.
Cohesive forces also contribute to surface tension, influencing how well an adhesive wets a surface without deforming. In practical terms, strong cohesion ensures tapes maintain their grip, resist edge lifting, and deliver reliable results in everything from electrical tape for wiring to masking tape for painting or surface protection during manufacturing.
In product design, tape engineers and materials scientists balance adhesive and cohesive properties to suit the intended application—whether maximizing peel strength, shear resistance, or resistance to UV, moisture, and chemicals. For high-surface-energy substrates and low-surface-tension adhesives, optimal bonding requires adhesive forces to exceed cohesive forces, with a contact angle below 90° to ensure effective wetting.
Tackiness: Tack, or surface stickiness, measures how quickly a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape adheres to a surface with minimal pressure. High-tack tapes, such as those used for mounting, splicing, and instant repairs, deliver immediate bond strength, while low-tack tapes like painter’s tape allow for repositioning or clean removal.
Adhesive formulations that balance viscoelastic properties optimize tack. Viscoelastic adhesives behave like both solids and fluids, flowing under pressure to make contact with the substrate and then returning to their original consistency to provide peel and holding strength. Tape manufacturers assess tack using industry-standard testing methods, including Rolling Ball and Loop Tack Tests, to ensure product consistency and suitability for specific applications.
Rolling Ball Test: This test measures the initial tack of an adhesive tape. A standardized steel ball is rolled down an inclined plane over the adhesive surface, and the distance it travels before stopping is recorded. A shorter distance indicates higher initial tack—valuable data when selecting tapes for sealing, labeling, and packaging operations.
Surface Energy: Surface energy determines how effectively an adhesive tape bonds to different materials. High surface energy (HSE) substrates, like metals and glass, allow for easy wetting and strong bond formation, while low surface energy (LSE) materials, such as polypropylene and Teflon, present challenges for conventional adhesives. For successful bonding on LSE substrates, manufacturers often use specialized tapes with modified acrylics, advanced rubber adhesives, or employ surface pretreatment methods—such as flame, plasma, or chemical etching—to enhance adhesion. Understanding surface energy helps consumers and engineers select the right adhesive solution for each project.
Choosing the Right Adhesive Tape: The science of adhesive tapes is deeply intertwined with practical considerations—whether you need double-sided tape for mounting, electrical tape for industrial wiring, or specialty tapes for automotive, aerospace, or medical applications. Key selection factors include tape type, adhesive formulation, application surface, environmental resistance, temperature tolerance, and removability. Leading tape manufacturers offer extensive product lines with engineered properties for performance, safety, and reliability.
To optimize productivity and reduce failure in your next tape application, ensure you match the adhesive system to your project’s materials, surface energy, stress loads, and environmental demands. Consult technical datasheets, industry standards (such as ASTM and ISO), and reputable tape suppliers for guidance. By leveraging the latest adhesive technologies and scientific insights, you can achieve superior results, whether for heavy-duty industrial assembly, electronic component protection, or simple household repairs.
Adhesive tapes are versatile bonding solutions widely used across multiple industries, including automotive, construction, medical, and electronics manufacturing. Each adhesive tape is comprised of three main components: a carrier (backing), an adhesive compound, and, in certain cases, a release liner. Not all types of adhesive tapes require all components; the construction depends on the tape’s specific purpose, environment, and method of application. Careful material selection for both the carrier and adhesive is crucial, particularly for high-performance or specialty tapes where downstream processes like converting or die-cutting are involved. Understanding each component helps users select the right adhesive tape for packaging, electrical insulation, masking, labeling, or industrial bonding applications. The layers of an adhesive tape typically include the following:
The carrier, also called the backing material, is a thin, flexible film or substrate that supports the adhesive layer. The physical properties of the carrier greatly influence the tape’s strength, durability, tensile properties, and suitability for specific tasks. Different adhesive tapes leverage various carrier materials to achieve performance characteristics for industrial, electrical, medical, or general-purpose use. Common carrier materials include:
Plastic Films: Plastic films are a widely used carrier for adhesive tapes, prized for their flexibility, high tensile strength, dimensional stability, and excellent weather resistance. The color and transparency of plastic films can be customized, and they are easily printed for labeling or branding. Various polymers used as plastic film carriers include:
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Films: PVC adhesive tapes are valued for their outstanding chemical, moisture, and flame resistance, as well as their high toughness and tensile strength. PVC tape is commonly selected for electrical insulation (such as electrical tape), color coding, pipe wrapping, and household repairs where a strong, long-lasting semi-permanent bond is essential.
Metal Foil: Metal foil carriers, typically made from aluminum, copper, or zinc, are essential for applications demanding resistance to severe temperature extremes, humidity, and excellent electrical conductivity. Metal-backed adhesive tapes are used to bond or shield electrical components, seal HVAC ducts, or offer EMI/RFI shielding in sensitive electronics. These foils are sometimes reinforced with plastic or paper films to enhance durability and conformability.
Paper: Paper carriers offer cost-effective, customizable, and printable solutions ideal for lightweight, decorative, or temporary applications. Laminated paper carriers are used to boost tensile strength in fragile applications. Common types of adhesive tapes using paper carriers include masking tapes for painting and surface protection, packing tapes for carton sealing, and medical surgical tapes. Medical tapes often utilize zinc oxide in the carrier for added antimicrobial and skin-friendly properties.
The adhesive compound is the primary functional layer of every adhesive tape, formulated to provide the desired bonding mechanism between surfaces. The adhesive chemistry is critical and chosen based on substrate compatibility, required bond strength (tack and shear), environmental resistance, and specific industry needs. The most prevalent adhesive chemistries include:
Rubber Adhesives: Common in pressure-sensitive tapes, rubber-based adhesives are cost-effective and designed for low-to-moderate stress and ambient temperature use. They provide quick stick (“instant tack”) and ease of removal, ideal for carton sealing, duct tapes, packaging, and masking applications. Modifiers and additives are often incorporated to enhance tack, peel strength, and resistance to aging and oxidation. However, rubber adhesives may degrade under prolonged heat or UV exposure.
Rubber adhesives are found in products including duct tapes, masking tapes, electrical and carton sealing tapes. Both natural and synthetic rubber chemistries are available:
Synthetic Rubber Adhesives: Formulated for enhanced durability, synthetic rubber adhesives exhibit improved adhesion and higher shear resistance. Common types include:
Acrylic Adhesives: Acrylic-based adhesives are the industry standard for high-performance, long-term bonding requirements. They excel in resistance to UV light, high temperatures, harsh chemicals, oxidation, and environmental aging. These adhesives generate strong initial bonds (“permanent bond”) that strengthen over time, which is essential for mounting tapes, outdoor labels, graphic overlays, and signage tapes in construction and automotive applications.
Acrylic adhesives are produced in two main types, each offering unique processing and performance advantages:
Silicone Adhesives: Silicon-based adhesives are the premier choice for high-temperature and high-performance tape applications. While more costly, they can endure temperatures up to 475°F (246°C) and offer exceptional chemical and UV resistance. Their low initial tack allows easy repositioning; as the adhesive fully cures, it delivers extremely stable, long-term adhesion ideal for masking during powder coating, electronics assembly, or thermal insulation.
Silicone adhesives are typically used in specialized tapes for the electronics industry, including thermal interface tapes, insulating tapes, and splicing tapes. They are also found in heat-resistant PTFE tapes and are crucial in advanced circuit board manufacturing and aerospace assemblies requiring extreme environmental resilience.
Additional Note on User Selection and Conversion: When choosing an adhesive tape, users should evaluate critical performance factors such as adhesion strength, substrate compatibility, durability, temperature and chemical resistance, removability versus permanence, and specific industry certifications (such as UL, RoHS, or FDA compliance for medical adhesive tapes). Product datasheets and technical specifications help buyers compare adhesive tape types for industrial, commercial, or medical applications, facilitating informed purchase decisions that optimize cost-effectiveness and performance.
The release liner is an essential component in double-coated tapes, transfer adhesives, and certain specialty adhesive systems. This protective layer, typically made of silicone-coated paper or plastic, is removed immediately before application, preserving the adhesive’s tackiness and preventing premature sticking. Release liners ensure the product remains easy to handle, store, and convert, while maintaining optimal adhesion performance until point-of-use—a critical consideration for automated assembly, high-speed packaging, and precise die-cutting operations.
Adhesive tapes are categorized according to the arrangement of the carrier, adhesive, and release liner:
Single Coated Tape: Single coated tapes are the most basic configuration of adhesive tapes. The adhesive film is only found on one side of the carrier. The exterior side of the carrier may be coated with a release agent to help unwind the tape, or a release liner may be used. Typical examples of a single coated tape are electrical tapes, duct tapes, masking tapes, etc.
Adhesive Transfer Tape: These are intended for a discrete, seamless bonding of two substrates. The unsupported adhesive film is protected with a release liner, which is peeled off after bonding to the first substrate. The second substrate is then attached to the other side of the adhesive film. The release liner is used on both sides of the adhesive to aid its separation. Unlike double-coated tapes, the temperature resistance of an adhesive transfer tape is limited only by the properties of the adhesive itself.
Double-coated Tape: This type consists of backing material with adhesive film applied on both sides. A release liner is used to separate the adhesive layers.
Double-coated tapes are used to bond substrates with different surface properties that require different bonding requirements. It is highly customizable, and the thickness of the adhesive can be varied on the opposite sides. The thermal resistance of a double-coated tape depends on the properties of its carrier.
The wide use of adhesive tapes is due to their many positive attributes. They are a cost effective method for sealing, protecting, and securing an assortment of surfaces, easily and efficiently. Their use is due to their ability to temporarily or permanently secure items for a variety of functions and applications.
Aside from the obvious advantages of adhesive tapes, they are available in different strengths and configurations, which makes them adaptable to a multitude of applications. When selecting an adhesive tape, users identify the application for which a tape will be used and consider an adhesive tape’s backing, adhesive properties, strength, and thickness such that its properties match the parameters of how it will be used. Typical adhesive tapes may require the application of water, a solvent, or heat to form a secure bond.
Versatile - Adhesive tapes have several functions beyond joining two surfaces. Their use spans a wide range of applications that include residential and industrial uses. They are used to:
Convenience - The application of adhesive tape is instant, easy, and efficient. Since most adhesive tapes are available in roles, the application process is simply a matter of unrolling the tape, tacky side down, onto the surfaces that need to be connected.
Cost - The convenience of adhesive tapes speeds up assembly processes due to the elimination of the need for curing and cleaning.
Hold - Adhesive tapes supply a substantially secure hold at temperatures ranging between -40°C up to 150°C and can maintain their hold underwater.
Heat Dissipation - The right type of adhesive tape can be used to insulate generators, coils, transformers, and cables. Adhesive tapes can dissipate or absorb heat and help avoid interference with small electronics.
Smoothing Uneven Surfaces - Adhesive tape can be used to fill small gaps, smooth slightly uneven surfaces, or cover rough surfaces.
Corrosion Protection - The fastening of components to an application can be completed quickly and efficiently without the need for drilling holes. The strength and durability of corrosion protection tapes provides long lasting and clean connections.
Stress - The use of adhesive tape for providing a connection spreads the amount of stress at a connection over the surface of the tape. The thin durable design saves space and eliminates concerns over stress.
Lightweight - The use of adhesive tape lowers the cost of an application by decreasing its weight. It provides an adaptable alternative bonding mechanism.
Design - The flexibility of adhesive tapes allows for a certain amount of design freedom when configuring a project. Where applicable, adhesive tape can provide a strong, durable, and invisible connection.
A pressure-sensitive adhesive is a polymeric combination of monomers that are applied in layers of a substrate to form a tight and secure bond. The strength and characteristics of the bond is designed to resist any form of debonding. The forms of PSA tape include cloth, paper, metal, or plastics. The main criteria is the presence of a tacky adhesive on at least one side of the tape.
The wide use of PSA tape is due to how easy it is to apply. The application of a sufficient amount of pressure creates a permanent bond between the connected surfaces and the tape. Once applied, it is permanent and does not change phases, such as shifting from a liquid to a solid. Unlike other forms of tape that require a solvent, water, or heat to be activated, PSA tape adheres as soon as it is compressed.
The industrial definition of PSA tape is any form of transfer, single or double coated tape, that can be applied using only pressure to form a solid bond on a surface. Single coated and double coated PSA tapes are required to have a carrier, which is referred to as a web or backing. Transfer tapes, a form of PSA tape, are used for placing words or images on a surface through the use of pressure.
The factors that divide PSA tapes are in regard to their adhesive and backing. Modern PSA tapes can be single or double sided with a variety of carriers or backing. Different designs are used to meet the needs of diverse applications.
Single sided PSA tape has the adhesive on one side of the carrier and a release liner that protects the adhesive. The use of single sided PSA tapes depends on their adhesive, which can be silicone, rubber, or acrylic. Silicone single sided tapes are for wound care while rubber and acrylic single sided tapes are used for insulation, labeling, and electrical applications.
Double sided PSA tape has adhesive on both sides of the carrier, which makes it possible to attach two identical or different surfaces with an invisible bond. The adhesives on the carrier can be the same for both sides or different depending on the double sided PSA tape’s design. As with single sided PSA tape, a protective liner protects the adhesive layer.
A common use for double sided PSA tape is when the surfaces to be connected have an uneven texture. In such circumstances, double sided PSA tape allows for quick and efficient assembly. A factor that makes double sided PSA tape so useful is the ability to customize it by changing the carrier and the types of adhesives.
Self wound tape is a very popular form of PSA tape that is used for industrial applications and residential projects. One side of the tape is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The other side has a quick release coating. Self wound tape is unlike single sided PSA tape in that it does not have a protective layer over the adhesive.
Transfer PSA tape is similar to single sided PSA tape but does not have a carrier. The layer of adhesive is applied to a liner that is removed once the tape is placed against a surface. The absence of a liner makes the tape more conformable. It is used for attaching signage, name plates, and identification markings. Many appliances and devices have graphic overlays that are applied using transfer PSA tape.
Carpet tape is a double-sided tape designed for securing carpets or rugs to the floor. It's made of strong, durable, and adhesive material that can hold the carpet in place and prevent it from sliding or wrinkling. Carpet tape is used in
One kind of pressure-sensitive self-adhesive tape is foam tape. It has one of several different backing materials and is made of foam. It may have adhesive on one or both sides. Foam tapes are, at their most basic level, tapes that are applied to uneven or
Masking tape is pressure sensitive, thin and very adhesive, easy to tear paper that is used in various tasks ranging from masking off areas that are not to be painted or as insulation for electric wires among other...
PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene and is a synthetic fluoropolymer used widely in many industries and many other applications. PTFE is also commonly referred to as thread seal tape, teflon tape, and plumber‘s tape...
A cardboard box is a shipping container made of thick heavy duty paper known as paperboard, which is more than 0.01 inch or 0.25 mm thick. The term cardboard is used as a generic descriptor for various types of solid firm papers used to produce boxes
A corrugated box is a disposable container whose sides are made up of layers of material that include an inside layer, outer layer, and middle layer. The middle layer, between the outer and inner layers, is fluted, which are rigid wave shaped arches that provide cushioning...
Die cutting is the mass fabrication of cut-out shapes by shearing a stock material such as paper and chipboard using tooling called a die. A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing to cut or shape a material fitted into a press...
Epoxy: Epoxy glue is a thermosetting adhesive made up of a resin or epoxy polymer and a hardener that is used to adhere or join a range of surfaces together with a strong, permanent, and robust bond that can...
Hot melt adhesives are also known as glue adhesives. They are thermoplastic polymer adhesives that are solid at room temperature. Hot melt adhesives liquefy if heated to a temperature above their softening point...
Kiss cutting is a method for cutting into a material where the upper layers are pierced, but the back layer is left intact. The term "kiss" refers to the way the blade touches the upper layers of the material and leaves a pattern or cut with a sufficient amount of force to leave an impression...
Silicone adhesive is a versatile water resistant polymer whose primary ingredient is silica, a common form of sand found in quartz. The term silicone refers to a group of polymers that have a siloxane bond with organic compounds. The production of silicone adhesives begins...