The Tuck brand leaked air at 52.4 psi while the other five began to fail at 24.2 to 34.5 psi. In last place, Tuck Tape pulled loose at 39.1 lbs. Manco 'Duck' took honors, peeling away at an average of 47.8 lbs. (We cleaned and dried the surface after each test.) Then we clamped the remainder in place and applied the pulling force. In the adhesion test, we applied a 2-inch by 3-inch section of each sample to our test surface. Nashua Industrial Grade brand tape proved strongest, breaking at 40.57 lbs. To test tensile strength, with both ends of the tape secured, we applied pulling force until the sample parted. The higher the cloth count, the greater the strength. It's expressed in vertical and horizontal threads per inch. Tensile strength is a function of thread count of the cloth and strength of each thread.

With one end blocked and a tape sample wrapped once over the hole, we recorded the pressure required to burst the tape. We used a one-foot section of 1-inch flexible PVC hose with a quarter-inch hole bored in the middle. The unit is pumped by hand and reads air pressure on a gauge calibrated in ponds per square inch (PSI). We then compared the average reading by brand.įor the pressure test, we assumed hose repair to be the most likely application on a boat and adapted a device used to pressure test engine cooling systems. (For the breaking strength test, we cut the 2-inch wide strips in half in order to accommodate the 50-lb pull limit of our test equipment). Tape samples were attached between a fixed plate and a sliding clamp, and force was applied to pull the clamp away from the plate through a block and tackle.Ī recording scale between the fall on the tackle and the sliding clamp measured the force required to break the samples in the strength tests and to pull them loose in the adhesion tests.įor both tests, we cut five 6-inch strips of each product. To do that, we built an apparatus using a mica laminate surface. We wanted to asses its tensile strength and adhesive power in straight-pull applications. One convenience of duct tape is that it tears easily, making it ideal for quick application in most situations, without tools. We ran tests for tensile strength, adhesion quality and pressure resistance, and we added a subjective evaluation of how the tapes stood up to exposure to the elements. We tested six tapes from four manufacturers purchased at random on a shopping spree that included a marine supply store, a home improvement outlet and a we-sell-everything-you-can-think-of drug store. Technically, duct tape is a three-part laminate, bonding under high pressure a polyethylene film, cotton cloth and natural rubber adhesive with hydrocarbon resin as a tackifier. Duct tape has been that way, more or less, ever since. The backing color changed to gray to match tin duct work and later, manufacturers changed the backing material to polyethylene film. Scholl's Adhesive Tape, tried the stuff to seal air ducts for the heating and air conditioning industry. Then a tape-type from Fort Worth named Harold Potter had an idea. Boat Owners Association of The United StatesĪfter the war, people began looking for new uses.

Tuck tape for water leak