Vinyl Electrical Tape Selection Guide

Can your tape take the heat and beat the cold?
Not all tapes are made to stick in extreme temperatures. Working in cold environments, whether outside braving elements or inside a refrigeration unit, you’ll need a vinyl electrical tape with adhesive that won’t ‘freeze up’ during application. In extreme heat your tape needs a high temperature rating to help prevent peel and material deterioration, both of which compromise dielectric insulation. When evaluating vinyl tapes, the low temperature rating typically provides the lowest installation temperature. The high temperature rating indicates the highest continuous operating temperature of the tape.

• A premium grade vinyl tape will perform in a wide range of temperatures from -18ºC (0ºF) to 105ºC (220ºF).
• Only premium vinyl tapes are designed to apply and adhere in sub-freezing conditions. Most general purpose tapes will struggle to adhere to cold surfaces.
• In very hot climates, an economy tape will move and ‘slime’ the adhesive — something to consider if you’re using it for cable bundling and don’t want to scrape off goo.
• If jacketing over a mastic tape splice in a harsh environment, you’d select a premium vinyl to contain oozing.

Sticky factors.
Flagging and tape curl are caused by a number of factors, including adhesive degradation and improper installation. Industrial contaminants and heat can play a factor. Tape can unwind, opening a path for corrosion. Higher grade raw materials are used in the production of premium vinyl electrical tape.  Adhesion to steel is part of the ASTM D1000 physical property test for film pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape. It tests how much force is required to pull the tape from a steel surface.

• When your tape has to be long lasting, the adhesion matters.
• General purpose tapes for temporary holding tend to have lower adhesion-to-steel ratings.
• Premium vinyl tapes with higher adhesion ratings will stick better to some plastics, PVC, copper, and aluminum.
• They also have more stable adhesion properties over a range of temperatures which means they should stick when you need it and where you need it.

Sword and shield.
Electrical insulation can be achieved with tape as thin as paper but to create a shell to help protect from puncture; you need to layer on the vinyl−More specifically: polyvinyl chloride, (PVC). This phenomenal plastic, invented in 1913, is used today in everything from plumbing pipes to credit cards. Early efforts to make a polyvinyl film were stymied by the plasticizer used, which degraded the adhesive. In 1946, 3M researchers created a solution and Scotch® Vinyl Electrical Tape 33 was introduced to the market.

• Vinyl electrical tapes are often 5 to 7 mil. thick (7 mil is most common in the U.S.).
• The thinner general purpose tapes are often used for bundling and harnessing cables.
• Thicker premium vinyl electrical tapes are typically used as primary low voltage insulation. 
• Even thicker 8.5 and 10 mil heavy-duty vinyl electrical tapes will provide extra padding as well as excellent protection in rough environments where your cables and splices are prone to abrasion and punctures.
• Thickness also plays a part in dielectric strength which increases with each successive wrapped layer. Thicker layers provide increased UV protection for outdoor applications.