How Is Scotch Tape Made?

Introduction

Scotch tape is an adhesive called pressure sensitive adhesive and is capable of being rolled up without sticking together. Adhesives have all sorts of different strengths and can be found on sticky notes and duct tape as well. Scotch tape was invented by Richard Drew in the 1930, and he did it by changing the adhesive that was attached to masking tape to a see-through cellophane tape.

Materials

Adhesives are made up of a chain of molecules called polymers and appear tangled up when they are applied to tape. When manufacturers apply an adhesive formula, it needs to be spread around in its liquid state. Once the adhesive is spread across the surface, a physical process called "solvent evaporation" is used that changes the adhesive into a type of bonding agent, which gives Scotch tape its stickiness.

Function

Adhesives stick because they are a collection of bubbles. Scotch tape may look smooth on the surface, but that is not the case. If you would look at Scotch tape under a microscope, you will notice that the adhesive side of the tape has air bubbles trapped on its surface. When pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the material, air gets caught underneath the surface. These bubbles act as suction cups and attach and stick to any object they come in contact with.