Polyethylene adhesive tape for surface protection or greenhouse repair

      Description of polyethylene (PE) adhesive tape

This adhesive tape is composed of a polyethylene carrier which is a thermoplastic, translucent, chemically inert, cold-resistant polymer belonging to the polyolefin family.

The different polyethylene densities allow to distinguish 3 types of adhesive tapes:
 

Thin temporary protection films :

They are not very dense and are intended to protect products during their manufacture, handling, processing, storage and transport. They protect them from scratches and dust. Films with low, medium of high adhesion are easily removed without leaving any residues (prior test required) and do not discolor under UV light. You can choose the appropriate film dependind on the surface nature (smooth, rough, textured...), environmental conditions, application (manual or automatic) and desired adhesive performance.

Thick PE tapes for greenhouse repair:

These have the advantages of being highly conformable, with excellent resistance to bad weather and UV, acids and solvents, easily reyclable and economical. They are mainly used to repair PE covers for greenhouses or cultivation tunnels. Their temperature resistance is limited to 75°C.

Very high density PE adhesives :

They are very dense and their main functions are anti-adhesion and anti-abrasion. They are and ideal solution for applications requiring reduced wear, friction, noise and chemical degradation of surfaces. Compared to Teflon PTFE, UHMWPE tapes are less well known, but their low coefficient of friction makes them much more abrasion and sanding resistant than Teflon. For applications at temperatures above 105°C, Teflon products are more recommended as they have a better temperature resistance.

Two adhesive masses can be used:

• Rubber: Fast adhesion and multi-surface bonding
• Acrylic: Better resistance in time and for outdoor applications

      How to choose a PE adhesive tape?

• For an application at a temperature higher than 105°C, choose PTFE Teflon products which have a better temperature resistance.
• To protect an outdoor surface, choose a PE product that is UV opaque.
• To facilitate the sliding of heavy objects, choose a very thick PE product such as 3M 5423.
• Make sure you know whether the protected sheet is laser-cut before or after protection with the film.

      Some examples of applications

• Temporary surface protection: door frames, plastic sheet metal work, surface treatment, optics...
• Repair of greenhouse covers or PE tunnels
• UHMWPE tape: protection of plastic and metal guides and rails, reduction of friction in safety belt winding devices...