N/A ASTM
The American Society for Testing and Materials — an independent body that establishes testing methods and standards.

BACKING (SUBSTRATE)
Primary component of tape upon which the adhesive is applied. It may be any continuous material, such as cloth, film, treated paper, metal foil laminated materials, etc.

BAKE RESISTANCE
Ability of a tape to resist degradation during the heat treatment of a painted part or electrical component to which tape has been applied.

CONFORMABILITY
Ability of a tape to fit snugly or make total contact with the surface of an irregular-shaped object without creasing or folding.

CORROSION
The electrolytic or chemical deterioration of a surface to which a tape is applied.

CROSS-LINK
A chemical bridge formed between molecular chains, increasing their strength and heat resistance.

DIELECTRIC STRENGTH
The voltage expressed in volts that a tape will withstand without breaking down and passing current through it.

ELECTROLYTIC CORROSION FACTOR
A measure of the corrosive effect of a tape on a bare copper conductor. It is expressed as a ratio, with 1.0 indicating no corrosion under the test conditions and ratios less than 1.0 signifying degrees of corrosion.

FLAGGING
Refers to the condition observed when the end of a piece of tape comes away from the object to which it was intended to adhere. This term is usually applied to plastic tapes if they spring up and is particularly applied to tape, wound on its own backing.

FLAME RESISTANCE
A tape’s ability to withstand flame exposure. Burning rate, self-extinguishing on removal of the igniting flame, smoke density, toxicity of fumes and melt dripping are important factors in assessing flame resistance.

HEAT CURING
The application of heat to a tape brings about a chemical reaction forming cross-links, thereby increasing the cohesive strength of the adhesive and its resistance to high temperature and to attack by solvents.

INSULATION RESISTANCE
The ability of a tape to resist flow of current along its surface under specific conditions.

RELEASE COATING
The term usually refers to a thin coating which is applied to the backside of a film or other impervious tape backing and which allows the tape to be unwound at a controlled level.

SOLVENT RESISTANCE
The resistance of a tape backing or adhesive to dissolving in an organic solvent — particularly those found in paints, insulating varnishes and cleaning fluids.

TACK
Refers to the sticky feel of the adhesive. Can be measured by rolling ball method. Expressed as a ratio of height of drop of ball to distance traveled in a horizontal guided track.

THERMOSETTING
A term applied to elastomeric or plastic materials that change chemically at high temperatures to a harder, less plastic or elastic form. Heat curing and thermosetting are interchangeable terms. Heat cured pressure-sensitives maintain some rubbery characteristics after cure.

UNWIND
The act of removing or unwinding tape from a roll. The characteristics of unwind are influenced by the adhesion of the tape to its own backing.

VOLUME RESISTIVITY
The volume resistivity of a material is a parameter that indicates the electrical resistance of a piece of the material. It is defined in a manner that allows the calculation of the resistance in Ohms of a piece of material when the physical dimensions are known. Resistivity is specified in units of resistance (ohms) multiplied by units of length (usually cm) and expressed in units of ohm-cm.