History Adhesive tapes, commonly known as sticky tapes, have been in use as a quick and convenient repair since the 1920s. Repairing torn papers was never so easy. They are now seen as one of the major sources of unsightly damage to important documents and require specialized conservation treatment to remove.
Introduction
Adhesive tapes are the tapes coated with adhesive. The tapes are made of two components: a carrier, which is usually paper, plastic, cloth or rubber, and an adhesive, which is either water or solvent, based. Many modern tapes use pressure sensitive adhesives. When pressure is applied to the tape with finger, a strong adhesive is formed.
Adhesives
The adhesives commonly used in the tapes are:
- Acrylic adhesive - are known for their excellent environmental resistance and fast-setting times.
- Cyanoacrylates - they cure instantly on contact with mated surfaces through a reaction with surface moisture.
- Epoxy adhesives - are chemical compounds for joining components.
- Phenolic, melamine and urea formaldehyde- thermosetting adhesives that offer strong bonds and good resistance to high temperatures.
- Polyurethane adhesive - provides excellent flexibility, impact resistance and durability.
- Rubber adhesive - provides highly flexible bonds.
- Silicon adhesive - has high degree of flexibility and very high temperature resistance.
- Hot melt adhesive - allows parts to be removed or repositioned during assembly.
- UV curing - allows a permanent bond without heating.
Adhesive tapes are used in various industry sectors. The use of adhesive tapes is a simple and cost-effective method for sampling gunshot and other trace materials prior to analysis in a scanning electron microscope. The adhesive material is place onto a standard stub used in scanning electroscope microscopy. They are also used in medical, pharmaceutical, and in many manufacturing industries.
Disadvantages
Most tapes are made of poor quality materials, which will deteriorate quickly. Paper carriers may become yellow and brittle causing the repair to break open again. Plastic carriers may shrink, yellow and become brittle. Rubber based carriers will oxidize, harden, crack and shrink.
Adhesives may yellow and stain documents. Adhesives may become more fluids at higher temperatures and leach into paper surface causing a familiar translucence.
These tapes are unsightly and can cover important information. So one avoids the temptation of using poor quality adhesive tapes on important information.
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