The little ABC of adhesives

Do adhesive tapes contain solvents?

It is a question that concerned parents often ask. In all our office and home products we use dispersion adhesives, this means that after the solvent, water evaporates. No organic solvents therefore remain in the adhesive mass.

Do adhesive tapes such as tesafilm® and tesapack® contain acids?

Adhesive tapes do not contain any acids that can damage paper. The demand for acid free papers and adhesive tapes is based on the bad experiences people had with the first industrially produced papers. The chemicals used in production of paper at that time released sulfuric acid after some years had gone by. The sulfuric acid made the paper brittle, with the result that books made of the paper could no longer be used.

Are adhesive tapes free of asbestos, formaldehyde, and heavy metals?

You can rest assured that tesa adhesive tapes for office and home use contain neither asbestos nor formaldehyde and are also free of heavy metals.

How can I remove adhesive residue?

If adhesive residue remains on a surface, or if an adhesive tape cannot be fully removed, you can try the following methods:

1. Cover the tape or residue for at least one minute with a cloth soaked in white spirits. Be sure to first apply a small amount of the solvent to a concealed area of the surface you intend to clean to ensure that it can withstand the solvent.
2. The adhesive residue can then be wiped off with a cloth. Tape residue can be removed following the methods listed under “How can I remove adhesive tape strips even after a long time or from difficult surfaces?” (but without treating them with a blow dryer!).
3. The following can also be used as solvents instead of white spirit, in order of preference: general thinner, paint remover for hands or paintbrush cleaner.

How do I find the beginning of the roll of tape?

Sometimes it is hard to find the beginning of a roll of tape, and unsticking it can also be difficult if the tape tears.

1. The best way to avoid this is by using a dispenser, which keeps the beginning of the role of tape always at hand, right at the blade.
2. For loose rolls of tape without dispensers, you can always fold the beginning of the roll under after use, sticking the adhesive side to itself. This keeps the end of the roll visible and easy to grasp.

Why is adhesive tape sometimes not sticky enough?

In some cases, tesa® adhesive tapes do not adhere as well as they do on paper, glass and furniture surfaces. Most of these cases involve adhesion to PE plastic bags or gift wrap with waxy coatings. For these applications, tape with rubber adhesive may offer better results.

How clean the surface is also plays a role. In general, the place where the tape is to be applied must be dry and free of dust, fat, oil, moisture and other dirt and soiling – silicon particles, wax, and dirt make the adhesion less secure.

At what temperature should we use adhesive tapes?

The range of temperature at which adhesive tapes should be used is between +5°C (40°F) and +40°C (105°F). Rolls of tape that are too cold or too warm must first be allowed to adjust to room temperature. To ensure that the tape can be removed without leaving residue, the tape must be removed from the surface by pulling from one corner. If tape is removed at temperatures under +5°C (40°F), backing materials (such as transparent film) become brittle. During removal, the tape then “stutters” and is prone to tearing, and adhesive residue may be left behind.

Six tips for excellent results:

• Always remove masking tapes by pulling away from the edge of the paint.
• Remove masking tapes only after paint has dried slightly to the “tacky” stage but before it has dried completely.
• Always remove adhesive tapes by pulling at a 45 degree angle.
• Never expose adhesive tapes based on natural rubber adhesive to direct UV.
• Adhesive tapes should be kept in a cool, dry place and protected from direct sunlight.
• Adhesive tapes based on natural rubber adhesive must not be exposed to high temperatures above +50°C (120°F) for long periods.

How can I remove adhesive tape strips even after a long time or from difficult subsurfaces?

Removing adhesive tapes is sometimes tricky. In particular, removing them from some subsurfaces, such as slick furniture laminates; some plastics, such as PVC; and exterior window glass can be very difficult after they have adhered there for a long time, and particularly after they have been subject to intense sunlight.

Here’s how the pros do it:

1. Lift one corner of the tape, starting with your fingernail. In difficult cases, a pocketknife, razorblade, pair of tweezers, or plastic scraper or putty knife may also facilitate removal. If you heat the strip with a blow dryer, it will be easier to remove.
2. First pull the corner of the tape diagonally until the portion of the tape you have removed stretches across the entire width of the tape.
3. Then pull the tape slowly and evenly to remove it completely.

If residue remains or the tape tears, proceed as described under “How can I remove adhesive residue?”

What do I do if old adhesive tapes and areas where they were applied have become discoloured after many years?

If a torn page of a book or another paper document was repaired with adhesive tape years ago, the tape that was clear at that time may now have taken on a brownish tinge. Although it is sometimes still possible to remove the tape, the paper may be left with a brown spot that cannot be removed – except if you know a trick on how to do this.

The cause of the discolouration is the rubber adhesive that was formerly used for most adhesive tapes. This adhesive breaks down over the years due to the effects of the oxygen in the air. With tesafilm® this problem was solved as long as about 40 years ago. But there is still a chance to save areas of paper that were taped before then or where lower quality adhesive tapes were used.

1. These brown discolourations and adhesive residues are unfortunately quite difficult to remove from paper. If the book is particularly old or valuable, you should leave this to a professional restorer.
2. For papers that are not of great value, part of the adhesive can be dissolved using a cloth soaked in gasoline or another naphtha-based solvent.
3. All tesa adhesive tapes produced today are age resistant and are therefore not subject to discolouration.

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