Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used in applications ranging from labeling food packaging to assembling electronic devices to mounting graphics displays. Although they have been around for decades and their use is widespread, manufacturers, converters, and printers may not understand the key differences between the adhesive choices available, how they’re constructed, or which are best suited for a particular job.
When adhesive tape is found as evidence at a crime scene, it is the forensic scientist’s job to match it to its source with little or no knowledge of tape construction.
The criminal element has discovered the thousands of uses for adhesive tape, and it is being found more and more often as trace evidence at crime scenes. By far the most common tape found as evidence in two out of three cases involving adhesive tape is duct tape.
Substrates with reactive groups available for bonding make chemical bonding easier to achieve, while substrates with nothing to react to make adhesion difficult.
October 1, 2005
Adhesive technology is equal parts chemistry and "black magic." The sheer number of available substrates makes it nearly impossible to test each adhesive on every type. However, by conducting tests on a selection of novel, or difficult-to-adhere-to, substrates, we can make inferences that may help narrow the choice of adhesives.
Every single design consideration—including the adhesives selected—is important in the costly endeavor to send an object into space.
October 28, 2003
The harsh conditions of space place a set of constraints on the technologies that take us there. Of primary concern when it comes to space system design is the adhesive chosen to hold everything together. What does it take to perform in the vacuum of space, and why do silicone adhesives continue to be the adhesive of choice in many aerospace applications?