Adhesives by definition, are compounds that adhere or bond two items together.  While the Neanderthals, thousands of years ago made adhesives from tree resins, today most adhesives are synthetic adhesives consisting of resins, antioxidents,  tackifyiers and other ingredients to fine tune the performance to meet application needs.

Adhesives are formulated and typically mixed one batch at a time.  For the production of pressure sensitive tapes, the adhesives can be dissolved in solvents or combined with water in an aqueous dispersion.  These liquids are coated on a carrier, foam or film and dried in a continuous oven.  In the oven the solvents or water is driven off, leaving behind a sticky, tacky substance referred to as a pressure sensitive adhesive.  The pressure sensitive adhesive along with a carrier, foam or film, creates a pressure sensitive tape.

When the tape is applied, pressure is used to ensure the adhesive wets out, filling the peaks and valleys to create a bond.  The pressure, either hand pressure or controlled roller pressure is essential for proper bonding!

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