Industrial tape is used for adhesive bonding, thread sealing, masking, packaging, wrapping, electrical insulation, ESD control and other specialized applications. There are four basic product categories: non-adhesive tape, single-sided adhesive tape, double-sided adhesive tap, and transfer tape. Non-adhesive industrial tape does not have an applied adhesive, but may be self-adhering. Examples include PTFE thread-sealing tape, a product more commonly known as Teflon^® tape (DuPont). With single-sided tape, only one side of the backing or carrier is coated with adhesive. With double-sided tape, both sides of the backing or carrier are coated. In some cases, two different pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used on each side. In others, double-sided products are supplied with a coated release liner. Transfer tape is highly versatile industrial tape that consists of a thin adhesive film without a carrier or backing. It can be transferred readily to most dry surfaces from a peel-away release liner. 

Specifications for industrial tape include dimensions such as length, width, and height, as well as physical properties such as peel strength, tensile strength, temperature resistance, and dielectric strength. Peel strength or adhesion is the force required to separate two bonded surfaces. Tensile strength is the force required to break a piece of tape, film or laminate by pulling on opposite ends of the piece. Temperature resistance is the maximum temperature that products can withstand. Dielectric strength is the voltage that products can withstand without allowing the passage of current. Industrial tape that is tested according to standards or test methods developed or adopted by the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council or the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) is also available.  

Industrial tape is used for adhesive bonding, thread sealing, masking, packaging, wrapping, electrical insulation, ESD control and other specialized applications. There are four basic product categories: non-adhesive tape, single-sided adhesive tape, double-sided adhesive tap, and transfer tape. Non-adhesive industrial tape does not have an applied adhesive, but may be self-adhering. Examples include PTFE thread-sealing tape, a product more commonly known as Teflon^® tape (DuPont). With single-sided tape, only one side of the backing or carrier is coated with adhesive. With double-sided tape, both sides of the backing or carrier are coated. In some cases, two different pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used on each side. In others, double-sided products are supplied with a coated release liner. Transfer tape is highly versatile industrial tape that consists of a thin adhesive film without a carrier or backing. It can be transferred readily to most dry surfaces from a peel-away release liner. 

Specifications for industrial tape include dimensions such as length, width, and height, as well as physical properties such as peel strength, tensile strength, temperature resistance, and dielectric strength. Peel strength or adhesion is the force required to separate two bonded surfaces. Tensile strength is the force required to break a piece of tape, film or laminate by pulling on opposite ends of the piece. Temperature resistance is the maximum temperature that products can withstand. Dielectric strength is the voltage that products can withstand without allowing the passage of current. Industrial tape that is tested according to standards or test methods developed or adopted by the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council or the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) is also available.  

Carrier material, adhesive type, and release or liner material are important product-construction parameters for industrial tape. The carrier or backing is a thin, flexible material to which an adhesive is applied. Choices include acrylic films, aramid fibers, ceramic materials, epoxy resins, felt, fiberglass, filaments, cloth, fluropolymer films, foams, and graphite or carbon fiber. Carrier or backing materials for industrial tape also include metal foils, paper, polyethylene teraphthalate (PET), plastic, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polyimide, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rubber, silicone, or urethane. Many adhesive or coating types are available. Choices include acrylic, cellulose or gum, epoxy, polyurethane, rubber, silicone, thermoplastic, and thermoset materials. Industrial tapes with heat-activated or water-activated adhesives are also available. Typically, liners for double-sided tapes incorporate differentially-coated release liners.   

Industrial tape is rated for various substrates and applications. These substrates include ceramics and glass, concrete and masonry, composites, foam and foam bonding materials, leather, metal, paper or paperboard, plaster or plasterboard, plastic, porous surfaces, rubber and elastomers, textiles and fabrics, and wood and wood products. Industrial tape that is designed for dissimilar substrates can bond metal to rubber, for example. In terms of applications, some industrial tape is rated for the automotive, aerospace, cable, composite processing, building and construction, biotech and pharmaceutical, electrical or electronics, or label manufacturing industries. Other industrial tape is designed for masking, membrane switches or control panels, packaging, plumbing, printing, repair, seaming, heat sealing, or semiconductor applications.