Sealing Tape
Sealing tape is adhesive specifically designed to ensure a strong bond when closing or sealing an item. Sealing tape comes in a variety of lengths, widths, strengths, and styles. It also comes in a few different materials. Also, while it is available as a clear adhesive, sealing tape can often be found at most supermarkets in many colors and patterns. If a particular color is not available in person, a customer will be able to find it online.
Quick links to Sealing Tape Information
Applications of Sealing Tape
Sealing tapes are a common utility in our everyday lives. They are useful not just for households, but for trades and industries as well. From covering electric wire joints to preparing a carton for shipment—adhesive tapes help solve a large number of common issues.
Notable Types of Sealing Tapes
Thread Seal Tape
Also known as PTFE tape or plumber’s tape, is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film used for sealing pipe threads. This type of sealing tape is sold wound on a spool and cut to specific widths for ease of use. It is commonly called Teflon tape, although this is technically incorrect. Thread seal tape also lubricates, which allows for a deeper seating of the threads and helps the threads from seizing when being unscrewed.
Box Sealing Tape
Also called parcel tape or packing tape, is a pressure-sensitive sealing tape used for sealing or closing corrugated fiberboard boxes. It is simply a pressure-sensitive adhesive coated onto a backing material. This adhesive is usually polypropylene or polyester film that is orientated to maintain strength in both the long direction and the cross direction. Box sealing tape is most frequently 48 millimeters (two inches) wide, but it is also sold in 72 millimeter (approximately 3 inch) widths. It is most commonly sold as clear adhesive or in beige, buff, brown, or tan colors.
Carton Sealing Tape
May be applied with a handheld dispenser or an automatic tape dispenser. The tape may either be an acrylic adhesive or a hot melt adhesive. Both types of adhesive have positive attributes. For example, acrylic adhesive sticks to virtually any surface. Hot melt adhesive sticks instantly and won’t peel, crack, or dry out. While they both have several versions with a range of tensile strengths, hot melt adhesives do ultimately have the highest tensile strength capabilities of the two.
Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tape
Also known as PSA tape, these tapes have a layer of pressure sensitive gluing agent. This coating is applied on papers, plastic films, cloths, and metal foil. Without requiring heating or pressure, these tapes can strongly adhere to the surface onto which they are applied.
Water Activated Tape
Suitable for applications that are wet, moist, or watery. The adhesive of these tapes is either starch-base or animal-based. This glue is typically pasted on the backside of craft papers. In fact, the adhesive is applied as lamination. The adhesiveness of this tape can be attained by moistening the paper. Also known as gum paper tapes and gummed tapes, water activated tapes have two layers of paper that include adhesive laminate in between.
Heat Sensitive Tapes
This type is also known as heat activated tape. The gumminess of these tapes is activated by using heat. These are frequently used sealers in the packaging industry. Another variety of tapes that work on the principle of heat transfer is thermal release tape discussed in the next subsection.
Thermal Release Tape
Lose their stickiness when they come into contact with heat. At a certain temperature, they release their connection with the surface onto which they have been applied. These tapes are frequently used for industrial and packaging purposes.
Drywall Tape
Made using paper or cloth that has glue applied onto its back. These are close to the PSA tapes described in the first subsection.
Duct Tape
These are one of the strongest tapes suitable and used for numerous applications, including ducts. Duct tapes can be used on cloth pieces, cement, plastic, cord wires, and rubber. These can be used ideal for any application that needs a firm gluing properties.
Masking Tape
These are thin and basic tapes that are used to protect an area from spills, dust, and other contaminants for a short duration of time. These tapes are made from papers, with a glued backside. Since papers can be easily written on, these tapes are used for packaging and labeling purposes. Hospitals, hotels, and restaurants are some of the most repeated users of masking tapes.
In addition to these various types of tape, a tape supplier can also offer Teflon tapes and double-sides tapes, as well as custom products to fit a niche manufacturing need.
Sealing Tape Informational Video