1. Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are tacky at room temperature in dry form. They adhere firmly to a variety of surfaces and require only the application of a finger or hand. PSAs do not require water, solvent or heat activation in order to bond to materials such as paper, plastic, glass, wood, cement, and metal. The recommended bonding pressure is 14.5 – 29 psi =^ 10 – 20 N/cm². The temperature during application should be moderate, somewhere between 59º F and 95º F. Lower temperatures might lead to insufficient “wetting” or “coverage” of the adhesive on the substrate.

Very high temperatures may cause the tape to stretch when being applied, which could create additional stress in the final application.

2. Heat activated tape is usually tack-free until it is activated by a heat source. Heat activated tape requires time at elevated temperatures at 180˚F or higher to achieve a bond. 

Heat-activated adhesive allows for aggressive bonding to difficult surfaces such as rubber, EPDM, PU, and PVC-based plastic materials. It can be made with different carriers that are suitable for a variety of applications.

3. Water activated tape, gummed paper tape or gummed tape is a starch or an animal glue-based adhesive on a kraft paper backing which becomes sticky when moistened. Water activated tape is inexpensive and is used for closing and sealing boxes.

4. Non-adhesive tapes, films or laminates do not have an applied adhesive because they are self-adhering. PTFE thread-sealing tape is a type of non-adhesive tape.