Sensitive adhesive tapes forms a distinct category of adhesive tapes which in dry form are aggressive and permanently tacky at room temperature. During production, the adhesive is coated directly onto a release liner or a carrier. The adhesive is coated in wide width roll form and later sold in tape roll form to be converted into various widths, shapes and items, alone or laminated to other materials.

Features
Sensitive-adhesive consists of two major components: a backing and a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The backing may be paper, cloth, plastic, film, oil, laminate or other relatively flexible sheet material. The adhesive is coated on the backing and bonds to the target object as a result of the application of pressure.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives include a variety of natural and synthetic materials, including natural rubber, synthetic rubber, block copolymers, acrylics, silicones etc., modified in various ways through molecular weight selection, oils, fillers, crosslinking agents, stabilizers, pigments and other additives.

Sensitive adhesive tapes adhere to a variety of surfaces by the pressure of a finger or hand. They require no activation by water, solvent or heat and have sufficient cohesive strength so they can be handled with the fingers.

Types
They are available in various forms:

• Adhesive transfer tape: a film of pressure sensitive adhesive coated on silicon treated, release liner.
• Foam tapes: adhesive-coated polyolefin foam with the adhesive protected by a liner in the form of a tape.
• Film tapes: single or double coated tapes with acrylic, rubber or silicon adhesives.

Applications
They are used in a variety of industrial and design applications replacing mechanical fasteners, glues, epoxies, mastics and spot welds. Applications include mounting, bonding, joining, sealing, shielding, masking protecting, gasketing, sound damping, cushioning insulating, and quieting. These tapes are important components in electronics, computers, automotive, displays, aerospace, furniture, toys, medical, instrumentation, lighting, metal fabrication etc.

Disadvantages
The disadvantage of pressure sensitive tape is that it causes staining and irreversible long-term damage. It loses its fluidity, harden and lose adhesion. Adhesive may become more fluid at higher temperatures and leach into the paper surface causing translucence.