Glossary of Technical Terms

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Acrylic Adhesive
A pressure-sensitive adhesive formed by the polymerization of acrylic ester monomers. These adhesives exhibit high temperature resistance, excellent UV resistance, good plasticizer resistance and good aging characteristics. return to top ...

Aging
the organic process of growing older and showing the effects of increasing age return to top ...

Bond Strength
The amount of adhesion between bonded surfaces measured in terms of the stress required to separate a layer of material from the base to which it is bonded. return to top ...

Carrier
When referring to double-coated pressure sensitive adhesive, it is the thin medium to which the adhesive is anchored on both sides. return to top ...

Cladding
A protective or insulating layer fixed to the outside of a building or another structure. return to top ...

Closed Cell
In a material such as foam rubber or foam plastic, one of many air spaces (cells) totally enclosed by its walls and hence not interconnecting with other cells. Closed cell foams are designed to completely seal out air, water, dirt and other agents. return to top ...

Cohesion
The tendency of parts of a body of like composition to hold together, as a result of intermolecular attractive forces. In high bond tape applications, cohesion is referred to as "inner strength". The ability of the tape to stay entact where some weaker foams may break apart under stress. return to top ...

Conformable
Regarding high bond tapes, conformability is the ability to stretch, expand, mold and remain flexible thereby achieving maximum adherence to every inch of a substrate surface. return to top ...

Density
The mass of a substance divided by its volume. In the United States, density is accepted as the weight of a substance divided by its volume. Foam density is often expressed as pounds per cubic foot or kilograms per cubic meter. return to top ...

Double Coated
A pressure-sensitive adhesive consisting of a carrier with similar or dissimilar adhesives applied to both surfaces. return to top ...

Double Sided
Tape that has adhesive applied to both surfaces. return to top ...

Dynamic Shear
Shear strength when substrates are in motion or under impact. return to top ...

Impact Resistance
The ability of high bond tape to resist tension, stress, movement and other forces. return to top ...

Initial Tack
The amount of adhesion or bond an adhesive develops with a substrate when first applied. Most high bond tapes take up to 72 hours to reach maximum bond strength. This is simply the bond that forms immediately before tape has achieved its maximum. return to top ...

Liner
This is a film or paper (typically coated with a release agent like silicone) that is applied to an adhesive (i.e. the adhesive will not permanently bond to it). It serves to keep the adhesive clean and somewhat dry during storage. return to top ...

Mechanical Fastener
Device used to join 2 substrates permanently. Conventional mechanical fasteners include but are not limited to bolts, screws, nails, rivets, spot welds and liquid fasteners. return to top ...

Non-Phthalate
see Phthalate. Containing no phthalates. Our high bond tape products DO NOT contain phthalates. return to top ...

Open Cell
Used to describe the cell structure in foam, open cell foam has open cells making the foam less dense than closed cell. The cell walls are not continuous but interconnect, rendering the material breathable and able to soak up fluids. return to top ...

Peel Adhesion
Peel adhesion is the force required to remove a pressure sensitive adhesive from a standard test surface at a specified angle (usually 90°) and speed after the tape has been applied according to specified conditions. return to top ...

Phthalate
Phthalate is a chemical typically used in the production of plastic materials to increase flexibility. When ingested in water, phthalate can lead to cancer, miscarriage, premature birth, and asthma. Phthalates are a common concern as they are known to cause health problems as well as undesireable environmental effects. High bond tape products DO NOT contain phthalates. return to top ...

Plasticizer
A substance (typically a solvent) added to a synthetic resin to produce or promote plasticity and flexibility and to reduce brittleness. Plasticizer resistance is the measure of how well high bond tape holds up against softening. return to top ...

Pressure Sensitive Adhesive
A term used to designate a distinct category of adhesive tapes which in dry (solvent free) form are aggressive and permanently tacky at room temperature and adhere to a variety of surfaces without the need of more than finger or hand pressure. They require no activation by water, solvent or heat and have sufficient cohesive strength so they can be handled with the fingers. return to top ...

Primer
A substance used as a preparatory coat on a substrate to promote adhesion and speed up the time it takes to achieve maximum bond. return to top ...

Shear
Physical property (typically measured in minutes to failure) that tests how strong an adhesive is when it is slid across another surface. Typically in this test, an adhesive strip is stuck to an aluminum plate and a small weight is hung from it. The time given is the number of minutes it took the adhesive to slide completely off the plate. return to top ...

Static Shear
Shear strength when substrates are at rest. return to top ...

Substrate
The surface to which a pressure-sensitive tape, fabric, foam, etc. is applied. return to top ...

Surface Energy
Measure of the tendency of a surface to repel an adhesive. Low surface energy substrates have a tendency to repel adhesives and therefore are more difficult to bond to while high and medium surface energy substrates bond more easily. return to top ...

Tensile Strength
The pounds per square inch of force required to stretch a material to the breaking point. return to top ...

Thermal Expansion
Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to expand in size response to a change in temperature (heat). This property can create irregularities in substrate surfaces and create tension in the bond. High bond tape is flexibile and will absorb and conform to these changes. return to top ...

Tolerance
The permissible deviation from a specified value of a dimension. return to top ...

UV
Ultraviolet or sunlight. High bond tapes are exceptionally resistant to UV light and can withstand decay due to the damaging effect of the ultraviolet rays of the sun. return to top ...

Viscoelasticity
Having viscous as well as elastic properties. In other words, high bond tapes that are sticky and flexible at the same time. They resume their original shapes after being streched or expanded. In high bond tapes, viscoelasticity allows for absorption of natural changes like thermal expansion, irregular substrates, and several other factors that create stress on conventional fasteners. return to top ...

Wet Out
For optimum adhesion, an adhesive must thoroughly “wet out” the surface to be bonded. “Wetting out” means the adhesive flows and covers a surface to maximize the contact area and the attractive forces between the adhesive and bonding surface. return to top ...

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