Choosing the right materials and tools is essential when transporting products safely or carrying out projects at home. One such key tool that is not only practical but versatile is polyester tape. In this article, we've summarised what you need to know about polyester tape.
Polyester tape is an excellent type of self-adhesive tape that is extremely useful in several applications. Whether it's packaging, fixing or creative projects, polyester tape can help you with a wide range of tasks.
What is a polyester tape?
Polyester tape is a strong and durable material that has excellent tensile strength thanks to its polyester core. It has many advantages, including tensile strength, long life, and corrosion resistance. It is also resistant to moisture and heat, making it ideal for use in outdoor and harsh environments.
Polyester vs polypropylene tape: which is the better choice?
One question that often arises is whether polyester tapes or polypropylene tapes are better. Both materials are extremely useful but have different properties.
Polyester tapes are strong and durable, making them the ideal choice for heavy-duty and long-term fixing jobs. At the same time, polypropylene tapes are easy to use because of their affordable price.
The choice also depends on the specific application and requirements. If long-term durability is required, polyester tape is the better choice. For those who change fastenings frequently or are looking for lightweight packaging solutions, polypropylene tape is recommended.
Types of polyester tapes
There are many different types of polyester tapes. For example, there are single-sided and double-sided, and there are also acrylic, rubber and silicone-coated versions. They are highly resistant to moisture, chemicals and oils.
Thanks to their advantageous properties, they are well suited for bonding, masking, and insulation, they are used for example for electrical insulation, but also for composite joint protection.
Single-sided tapes consist of a thin layer of film and an adhesive. They adhere well to glass, resin and even metal. Oxygen or heat is required to crosslink the adhesives and to achieve proper adhesion.
Double-sided polyester tapes have the same properties, except that both sides of the substrate are coated with adhesive.
Polyester strapping tapes
There are also so-called polyester strapping tapes, which are very durable and easy to handle. These strapping tapes can rival steel strapping in certain properties. They are much stronger than polypropylene straps and can be used to strap a parcel or load easily. These strapping tapes are cost-effective, do not damage the strapped surface, are resistant to external influences and can even be printed on.
There are several types of strapping tape available, let's have a look at them:
- Composite tape: based on polyester yarn with a polypropylene coating. It is made of polypropylene polypropylene with a polypropylene core.
- Hot-melt tape: polyester tape with a hot-melt adhesive.
- Woven webbing: consists of polyester yarn woven in a longitudinal and transverse structure.
Strapping tapes are available in different sizes or different rolls. For example, for standard hot-melt tape, you can choose between 9 and 35 mm in size and 76 mm inner diameter paper rolls.
Areas of use
Polyester tapes can be used in a wide range of applications, from industrial to domestic. In a domestic environment, polyester tapes are advantageous because they are easy to handle and versatile. They are ideal for repair work, packaging and small projects where fixing is required. In industry, polyester tapes are widely used in packaging, warehousing and transport, for example.
As an official 3M partner, Flanker is a trusted supplier to the printing, labour protection, abrasive and industrial adhesive industries. Click here to browse our webcatalogue.
