Adhesive tapes and films vary in terms of a carrier or backing material.
Here are the most common backings/carriers.
● Acrylic Films: Acrylic films are plastic or thermoplastic resin films manufactured using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polymethyl-2-methylpropanoate. Acrylic films have excellent clarity and are UV stable.
● Paper: Paper tape products have a paper backing and are also referred to as flat back tape.
● Cloth: A cloth backing often incorporates a woven cloth or a fabric layer for reinforcement, extra strength and heat resistance properties.
● Felt: Felt or non-woven tapes are often applied to substrates to prevent scratching.
● Foam: Adhesive-coated foam backing tape contains an adhesive that is protected by a liner. Foam is often used for sealing, weather-stripping, and mounting.
● Glass/Fiberglass: Fiberglass composite material or a glass layer provides exceptional stability in harsh environments by resisting shrinking, rotting, or burning.
● Filament: Filament tape, usually referred to as strapping tape, is composed of thousands of filaments (usually fiberglass) woven into yarns that are embedded into the adhesive. It is a strong and versatile material that allows the user to bundle similar or odd-shaped items together for shipping or storage.
● Fluoropolymer/PTFE/PVDF: Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is an insoluble compound that exhibits a high degree of chemical resistance and a low coefficient of friction. Fluoropolymer films, layers or coatings consist of plastics such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Fluoropolymer is often used in applications that require superior chemical resistance, good dielectric properties as well as water and stain repellent characteristics. It’s also used in applications where the material handled must not stick to the belt, fabric or laminate.
● Films are synthetic resin adhesives that can include a carrier, but not all do.
● Transfer tape: A highly versatile product, consisting of a thin adhesive film with no carrier and can be transferred to most dry surfaces as a peel-away release liner. Transfer tapes often use a release liner to improve handling and dispensing of the tape.
Double-sided tape liners often incorporate differently coated release liners that are easy to peel. These release liners are made out of either paper, film or silicone.