Adhesive Tapes Electrical

Electrical Adhesive Tapes are pressure sensitive tapes used to insulate electrical wires and other materials that conduct electricity. It can be made of many types of plastic, but vinyl is the most popular because it stretches and gives a good long lasting insulation. The original insulating tape was made of cloth tape impregnated with Chatterton’s compound, an adhesive material made using Gutta percha. In the 1940s, vinyl plastic emerged as a versatile material used for a wide range of applications ranging from shower curtains to cable insulation. A major ingredient in vinyl film was tricresyl phosphate which was used as a plasticizer. Unfortunately it tended to migrate giving the film an oily quality and degraded every tape adhesive known. Research engineers and chemist set out to create a dependable, pressure sensitive tape made of vinyl film that would have the required elements needed. Finally in 1946, inventors Snell, Oace and Eastwold applied for a patent for a vinyl electrical tape with a plasticizer system and non sulphur based rubber adhesive that were compatible. The first commercially available version of the tape was sold for use as a wire harness wrapping.