Skived PTFE Adhesive Tapes

The term skive is to skim thin layers from a product which in this instance is PTFE to create a thin sheet of film. PTFE is compressed to form a block known as a billet. Once the billet is formed it can then be formed in to a large cylindrical block. The block is spun then a fixed blade is introduced to the surface as the block rotates which shaves a thin film on a continuous basis.

Once the film has been skived from the billet it then needs to be chemically treated or etched. The process of etching removes the fluorine atoms from PTFE to create a sodium surface. This surface is now prepared to allow adhesives to be bonded to it which creates the skived PTFE tape. The most common type of adhesive used is a silicone type that offers a temperature range of from -73 degrees Celsius to + 260 degrees Celsius.

Skived PTFE can be chosen over PTFE coated glass cloths where conformability around irregular shaped is required. Another benefit over a glass cloth version is that as this tape is 100% PTFE is lasts much longer rather where as a relatively thin layer of PTFE over a glass fabric can wear result of changing the tape much sooner. Glass cloth tapes have many benefits over skived PTFE tapes depending application and should be chosen carefully.

Techbelt offers four thicknesses from stocks which are 0.08mm, 0.13mm, 0.25mm and 0.50mm thick. The four grades all are socked at 1000mm wide x 30mtr long and slit rolls form this came be made ranging from 10mm – 1000mm wide.