Pressure-sensitive tape

Pressure-sensitive tape or pressure-sensitive adhesive tape (PSA tape) is an adhesive tape that sticks when pressure is applied without the need for a solvent (such as water) or heat for activation. It is also known in various countries as self-stick tape, sticky tape, or just adhesive tape and tape, as well as genericized trademarks, such as Sellotape, Durex (tape), Scotch tape, etc.

PSA tape consists of three components:

• the tape itself, which often is cellophane, cellulose acetate, or polyvinyl chloride. Other materials include paper, plastic film, cloth, or metal foil coated onto a backing material such as paper, plastic film, cloth, or metal foil.
• a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
• release liner, which keeps the tape from sticking to itself. Some have layers of adhesives, primers, release agents,^[1] filaments, printing, etc. made for specific functions.

It sticks without the need for a solvent such as water or heat for activation. By contrast, "gummed" or "water activated" adhesive tapes require warm water for activation and "heat activated" tapes require heat.

Single-sided tapes allow bonding to a surface or joining of two adjacent or overlapping materials. Double-sided tape (adhesive on both sides) allows joining of two items back-to-back.