# What is the adhesive on Scotch tape made out of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695 "2012-05-02T23:48:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/1 "2012-05-02T23:48:51Z")
The question is in the title. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/2 "2012-05-02T23:51:17Z")
Which kind? Magic tape? Transparent? Acid-free? They have more kinds of tape than you can shake a stick at. I don’t know what’s in any of their adhesives. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/3 "2012-05-03T01:31:01Z")
See [Pressure-sensitive adhesive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure-sensitive_adhesive) > [@](#): > > Composition > > PSAs are usually based on an elastomer compounded with a suitable tackifier (e.g., a rosin ester). The elastomers can be based on: > > Acrylics, which can have sufficient tack on their own to not require a tackifier. Bio-based acrylate. Recently, a biological-based macromonomer was grafted onto a backbone of acrylate so that the resulting PSA uses 60% bio-based materials.[1] > > Butyl rubber > > Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) with high vinyl acetate content; can be formulated as a hot-melt PSA. > > Natural rubber > > Nitriles > > Silicone rubbers, requiring special tackifiers based on “MQ” silicate resins, composed of a monofunctional trimethyl silane (“M”) reacted with quadrafunctional silicon tetrachloride (“Q”). > > Styrene block copolymers (SBC), also called styrene copolymer adhesives and rubber-based adhesives, have good low-temperature flexibility, high elongation, and high heat resistance. > > Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), used in high-strength PSA applications > > Styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS), used in low self-adhering non-woven applications > > Styrene-ethylene/propylene (SEP) > > Styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), used in low-viscosity high-tack PSA applications > > Vinyl ethers See also: [http://www.enotes.com/topic/Pressure\_sensitive\_tape](http://www.enotes.com/topic/Pressure_sensitive_tape) > [@](#): > > ■Transparent office tape has a transparent film backing and an acrylic or synthetic rubber based adhesive. It is used for sealing envelopes, repairing torn paper products, general holding, etc. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/4 "2012-05-03T02:22:08Z")
gluons ---
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/5 "2012-05-07T12:42:14Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > gluons Oh you. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/6 "2012-05-07T13:25:10Z")
Ach, It’s made from the hopes and dreams of bonnie lassies simmered with haggis and sprinkled with the shreds of worn-out kilts. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/7 "2012-05-07T13:31:14Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Ach, It’s made from the hopes and dreams of bonnie lassies simmered with haggis and sprinkled with the shreds of worn-out kilts. But it cannot repair … _our freedom!_ ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-adhesive-on-scotch-tape-made-out-of/620695/8 "2012-05-07T14:57:12Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > I don’t know what’s in any of their adhesives. Then why did you ask which kind? 😛