The Difference Between Rubber, Acrylic, and Silicone PSA Tapes
The range of materials available in industrial pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes gives manufacturers the versatility they need to use them in nearly any application. Whether you need a strong bond to hold in extreme temperatures, added insulation against heat, electrostatic discharge, or sound and vibration, or protection against a variety of environmental hazards and contaminants, there is a PSA tape that can get the job done.
While there are a broad range of PSA tapes that provide different levels of quick stick, adhesive strength, adhesion to difficult substrates, environmental resistance, etc., the three most common categories of PSA tapes that cover the widest variety of use cases are rubber, silicone, acrylic. What are the differences between these PSA tape categories? Which applications are best suited for each? In each category there are strengths and weaknesses and general guidelines of when you’d want to use acrylic, rubber, or silicone PSA tapes.
Acrylic Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes
Acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive tapes are among the most versatile bonding solutions. Their wide range of performance capabilities make them ideal for many applications and environments. Ranging from low-cost water emulsion PSA products to expensive highly engineered hotmelt products, there usually is an acrylic PSA tape for the application. They may be engineered to deliver the widest range of characteristics. Acrylic PSA tapes can be engineered to be highly tackified and soft to extremely firm with very low initial tack levels. Depending on the chemistry, some products may be excellent for bonding to difficult to stick to plastics like polyethylene while others may be designed with very high shear strength and be able to withstand temperatures beyond 450 °F. Whether the acrylic adhesive is soft, medium or firm, they do take time to reach maximum strength. Typically, around 50% of the total adhesion can be seen right away with good pressure on the bond, yet in order to reach 100% strength, the dwell time for most acrylics PSA tapes can be up to 72 hours. After that, they can form an incredibly strong bond that can be used in indoor and outdoor applications and on a variety of substrates, including plastics.
Acrylic PSA tapes perform well in a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels. The typical temperature range of acrylic PSA tapes is from –40 °F to 250 °F, but they can be designed to have a high temperature resistance and be very resistant to chemicals, UV light and ozone, and oxidation.
Whether you are working with aluminum, steel, glass or plastics, acrylic PSA tapes can form a strong bond at an affordable price. Very high bond tapes are also available for low surface energy materials, including those with polypropylene, polyethylene, painted and powder-coated surfaces.
Use acrylic PSA tapes when:
You are looking for the highest strength PSA available.
You are working with hard to bond substrates
You need a variety of environmental and chemical resistances
You need a strong, long-term bond
You are working with products used outdoors or at elevated temperatures
If there are any application doubts at all, we suggest testing an acrylic PSA tape
Rubber Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes
Rubber pressure sensitive adhesive tapes are produced out of natural rubber and synthetic rubber. They are often used for a few key reasons. First, they can be the most affordable of the PSA tape options. Second, they have an extremely high tack, which means they often have the shortest dwell time until they reach full strength. If you need to form a strong bond quickly, rubber PSA tapes are one of your best options. They will form an immediate strong bond, making them ideal for short-term bonding situations. Lastly, there are natural rubber PSA tapes that are FDA approved for indirect food contact (see CFR 21, part 175).
Rubber PSA tapes are best for indoor applications with stable conditions. This is because they lack the strong environmental resistances of acrylic and silicone options. Rubber PSA tapes can be vulnerable to high temperatures, humidity, UV light, chemicals, plasticizers, and oxidation. They are best suited for temperatures between 0°F and 180°F. When exposed to very low temperatures, the adhesive can stiffen and lose tackiness, which impacts application. Higher temperatures result in the adhesive becoming softer and more fluid, which decreases bond strength.
Use rubber PSA tapes when:
You need an immediately strong or temporary bond
You are working with indoor applications that are environmentally stable
You are working with products exposed to food
You are bonding difficult to adhere to materials
You are looking for the most affordable bonding solution
Silicone Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes
Silicone pressure sensitive adhesive tapes are best in class in terms of heat resistance and performance in high temperatures. These PSA tapes offer some of the best performance across temperature ranges, from -100°F to 500°F. They also boast a wide range of environmental and chemical resistances, similar to acrylic PSA tapes (chemicals, UV light and ozone, and oxidation).
On top of their high level of performance in both indoor and outdoor settings, and under high temperatures, silicone PSA tapes also bond well to other silicone substrates and many low surface energy substrates. Although silicone PSA tape is an excellent bonding solution, there are few drawbacks to the material:
It comes at a higher price point when compared to acrylic and rubber PSA tapes
Low tack: it is not recommended to use silicone tape to form a quick, immediate bond
It has a lower shelf life
Use silicone PSA tapes when:
You are bonding in extreme temperatures
You need extreme environmental or chemical resistance
You need to bond to a silicone surface.
You need to provide electrical insulation