At what temperature and in which environment should adhesive tape be stored?
At what temperature and in which environment should adhesive tape be stored? It may seem strange to discuss the storage of a tool that, very often, is used on goods which will be stored in warehouses, as is typically the case for boxes secured with PVC or PPL tapes.
Yet, as many people know and as we will detail in this article, storing rolls of adhesive tape in appropriate environments, at an exact temperature and with favourable conditions, is essential to prolong the effectiveness of the adhesive tape itself.
Of course, this concern may be relatively negligible for those who are only buying one roll of adhesive tape at a time, placing it inside their toolbox or in the drawer dedicated to household tools.
For all those companies which, as they make great use of personalized adhesive tapes, prefer to buy dozens of rolls from time to time, it is a different story. Let’s see at what temperature and in which environment adhesive tape should be stored.
At what temperature and in which environment should adhesive tape be stored?
Let’s start with what is probably the most important factor when it comes to the storage of purchased industrial double-sided adhesive rolls: temperature. As it has been established, there are many different types of tape on the market, designed for different purposes and therefore made with different materials.
There range goes from packaging tape to double-sided tape, through cloth tape and so on. Each of these products has its own characteristics, but one aspect unites all types of tape: excessive temperature variations and exposure to extreme temperatures can accelerate tape aging, thus making it less and less effective over time.
Hence the need to keep the rolls in the right place and in the right way.
There is no “expiry date” common to all types of industrial double-sided tape: some should be used within 6 months, others can be safely used after 12 or 24 months, while others can reach 5 years of storage without any issues, and without suffering any deterioration.
However, storage temperature may change the situation: it should never be lower than 15 °C (59 °F) or higher than 25 °C (77 °C). The perfect warehouse for storing adhesive tape rolls is, therefore, one that is kept at room temperature regularly.
And what about those who do not have access to an air-conditioned warehouse, whose adhesive tape could then be exposed to slightly lower or higher temperatures? The tape’s shelf life may become be significantly shorter.
To limit the damage, in any case, it is advisable to avoid sudden temperature changes, for example, avoiding moving the adhesive tape from a very cold place to a very hot place without intermediate steps.
Properly storing adhesive tape: moisture and light
Temperature is not the only factor to take into account for proper storage of double-sided tape. To make this tool last a long time it is best to pay attention to the level of humidity as well, which should never be excessive, in order not to compromise the properties of the support and adhesive.
The limit which not to cross is 65%: when only just approaching this threshold, for example, adhesive tape’s paper liner tends to slowly get ruined. Another factor to consider is light, which, together with heat sources, can lead to faster decay of the tape.
Of course, to avoid temperature changes, humidity, and exposure to direct light as well as heat, it is good to keep the double-sided adhesive tape rolls inside their original packaging until in use, therefore in the box used by the manufacturer themselves during the sale, even better if the box itself is equipped with internal bags.
This will stop or reduce the threats listed above, as well as keep dust and dirt away from the tape. Properly placing one box on top of the other will also prevent the crushing of the rolls, to avoid deforming them.
Temperature and adhesive tape
When you think about the temperature in relation to strong double-sided adhesive tape, usually the focus is on the temperature at the time of use: it is no coincidence that there are adhesive tapes designed specifically for use in extremely hot environments or surfaces, even above 100 °C (2012 °F).
As it has been outlined above, however, it is best to keep temperature in mind even when it comes to storing adhesive, so as not to compromise their durability or their effectiveness when they are needed.
