10 things to consider when choosing adhesive tape

Which surfaces do you want to connect? Do they have a high or low surface tension/energy and what is their surface texture?

Depending on the surface energy or tension, it may be necessary to pre-treat the material to enable optimal bonding. High-energy surfaces usually can be bonded without problems, low-energy surfaces are more difficult to bond.  

However, they can be prepared for bonding with a plasma treatment or by using primers. Read more about this topic in our blog post on surface tension.

Also the structure of the surface you want to bond needs to be considered. If it is rough, the adhesive tape may need to have a levelling effect. In these cases, a soft adhesive material or a flexible and soft carrier material can be used.

In addition, the thermal expansion behaviour must be taken into account. It can vary depending on the material and can also be compensated by the adhesive tape if necessary.

What temperatures is the bonding exposed to in the short and long term?

The influence of temperature on a bond is significant – therefore it must be clear which heat or cold the material will be exposed to. If the temperature is too high, the adhesive can become soft and eventually lose its adhesive strength. If it is too low, the adhesive mass becomes hard and is no longer flexible or malleable and loses its damping properties.

How thick or thin should the tape be? Does the application require a very thin bond or should the material fill a gap?

Depending on the application, a material can be selected that adapts precisely to the required conditions.

Thick and soft materials can, for example, compensate unevenness as well as tension and at the same time have a damping and vibration-absorbing effect.

If, on the other hand, there is not much space available and the bond needs to be designed as thin as possible, we can resort to ultra-thin yet high-performance adhesive tape and bring it into the desired shape so that it fits your application exactly.

Which forces affect the connection?

It is differentiated between shear, tensile, peel and splitting force. The types of stress have an effect on the performance of the adhesive bond. This must also be taken into account when choosing the adhesive tape.

Does the bonding get in contact with solvents? If so, which ones and in what concentration?

The use of solvents must be handled with care. Adhesive tapes are highly sensitive to solvents, as they can cause both – the carrier material and polymeric pressure-sensitive adhesives – to swell or even dissolve. The substrate also influences the solvent resistance of the adhesive bond.

What is the UV load on the application? Is it exposed to moisture?

If the material is intended for outdoor use, it must be taken into account that it may be exposed to moisture and UV radiation.

UV radiation can have serious consequences for the bonding. Carrier material and adhesive mass can change and, in the worst case, can no longer be removed. Therfore it is important to ensure good UV resistance.

To protect the bonding from moisture, primers can be used to ensure that moisture does not get into the adhesive bond.