ASTM D3654/D3654M Standard Test Methods for Shear Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes

The standard “ASTM D3654/D3654M Standard Test Methods for Shear Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes” developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) describes the following test methods for determining the adhesion ability of pressure-sensitive tapes and labels under a constant load applied parallel to the surface of the tape and the substrate.

• Procedure A, Shear Adhesion to a Steel Panel: This procedure measures shear adhesion when applied to a vertical standard steel panel. A strip of tape is applied to a standard steel panel under controlled downward rolling. The panel is mounted vertically, a standard mass is attached to the free end of the tape, and the time to failure is determined.
• Procedure B, Shear Adhesion to Fiberboard: This procedure measures shear adhesion when applied to a vertical panel covered with NIST SRM 1810A standard fiberboard. A strip of tape is applied to a panel covered with NIST SRM 1810A fiberboard under controlled downward rolling. The panel is mounted vertically, a standard weight is attached to the free end of the tape, and the time to failure is determined.
• Procedure C, shear adhesion to fiberboard: This procedure measures shear adhesion when applied to a vertical panel covered with fiberboard as defined by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). A strip of tape is applied to a panel covered with CEN-standard fiberboard under controlled downward rolling. The panel is mounted vertically, a standard weight is attached to the free end of the tape, and the failure time is determined.
• Procedure D, Shear Adhesion to Fiberboard with Controlled Downwind: This procedure measures shear adhesion when applied to a vertical panel covered with fiberboard, as agreed upon by the buyer and seller. The panel is mounted vertically, a standard weight is attached to the free end of the tape, and the failure time is determined.
• Procedure E, Shear Adhesion to a Steel Panel: This procedure measures the shear adhesion of filament-reinforced tape when applied to a horizontal standard steel panel. A strip of filament-reinforced tape is applied with a controlled downwinding to a standard steel panel with a 120-degree bend at one end. The panel is mounted horizontally, tape-side up. The free end of the tape is allowed to hang vertically over the rounded end. A standard weight is attached to the free end of the tape and allowed to act for the specified time.
• Procedure F, Shear adhesion of filament-reinforced tape to standard fiberboard. This procedure measures the shear adhesion of filament-reinforced tape when applied to a horizontal panel covered with NIST SRM 1810A standard fiberboard. A strip of tylamine-reinforced tape covered with NIST SRM 1810A standard fiberboard is applied to a panel with a 120-degree bend by controlled downwinding. The panel is mounted horizontally with the tape side up, allowing the free end to hang vertically over the rounded end of the panel. A standard weight is attached to the free end of the tape and allowed to act for a specified time.
• Procedure G, Shear Adhesion of Filament-Reinforced Tape to Filament Board: This procedure measures the shear adhesion of a filament-reinforced tape when applied to a horizontal panel covered with a standard particle board as defined by the European Committee for Standardization. The filament-reinforced tape strip is applied to a panel covered with CEN standard fiberboard under controlled downward rolling. The panel is mounted horizontally, tape-side up, with the free end allowed to hang vertically over the rounded end of the panel. A standard weight is attached to the free end of the tape and allowed to act for the specified time.
• Procedure H: This procedure is performed as described in Procedure A, except that the test is performed at an elevated temperature after a 10-minute holding period at the elevated temperature.

The preferred specimen size for Procedures A, B, C, D, and H is 12 mm x 12 mm. A specimen size of 24 mm x 24 mm may be specified. For Procedures E, F, and G, the specimen width should be 12 mm. For testing reinforced filament with Procedure H, the width should be 12 mm.

These procedures provide a way to evaluate the adhesive uniformity of a particular type of pressure-sensitive tape, typically used for packaging applications. The evaluation can occur within a roll of tape, between rolls, or between production batches.

Variations in the tape backing and adhesive affect the response. Therefore, these procedures cannot be used to determine the specific cause(s) of non-uniformity.

The importance and use of these standards are determined as follows:

• Procedure A measures the ability of a pressure-sensitive tape to adhere to a standard steel panel under constant tension. This may or may not be related to the tape's ability to adhere to other surfaces.
• Procedures B, C, and D can be used to determine the shear adhesion of tapes commonly used to close fiberboard boxes in packaging applications.
• Procedure D measures the shear adhesion of a pressure-sensitive tape to a non-standard fiberboard, linerboard, corrugated board, or other designated test surface. This can be used to compare the shear adhesion of a tape to a specific fiberboard surface or to compare the shear adhesion of a tape to various fiberboard surfaces. Surfaces of similar fiberboards can vary significantly between factories, between batches from a factory, and within batches. Care should be taken in sample selection and when comparing results between fiberboard surfaces that may not be identical.
• Procedures E, F, and G can be used to determine the adhesion ability of a filament-reinforced tape when placed under constant tension.
• Procedure H can be used to compare the shear adhesion of tape applied to a standard steel surface and tested at an elevated temperature. Using an elevated temperature during testing tends to reduce the test duration.

Our organization, which has been supporting businesses across all sectors for years through a wide range of testing, measurement, analysis, and evaluation activities, has a strong team of employees who closely follow global developments in science and technology and are constantly improving themselves. In this context, we also provide testing services in accordance with the "ASTM D3654/D3654M Standard Test Methods for Shear and Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes."