ASTM D3330_{Standard Test Method for Peel Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Tape}

Test summary

ASTM D3330 Method A gives a measure of the adherence, to a standard steel panel for a single-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape. ASTM D3330 covers 5 methods (A though E) at 180 degrees and 1 (Method F) at 90 degrees.

Test apparatus

Stainless steel test panel and cleaning solvent (or material of interest), a mechanical or hand-operated roller and cutter/blades to trim the specimen to the required width.

Preparation

Wash panel 3 times with solvent, allow to dry, re-clean if not used in 10 hrs.

Remove an approximately 300 mm (12”) length specimen from a valid section of the sample product. Please refer to the test standard for further details regarding the selection, conditioning and dispensing of the tape from the roll, etc.

If necessary, trim the width of the specimen to 24 mm (1”).

Fold over 12 mm (0.5”) of one end, adhesive to adhesive, to make a tab.

Touch the other end of the specimen to one end of the test panel (lower edge in the diagram below) and position the remainder of the specimen above the plate without letting it make contact.

Twice apply the roller lengthwise over the backing in both directions causing the tape to adhere to the plate (see specimen preparation diagram). Discard if any air is entrapped.

Fold the specimen back upon itself, the non-adhesive side to give 180º angle.

The test panel now has a centrally mounted sample with half doubled over itself, non-adhesives sides adjacent, ending in a 12 mm tab which just hangs over the lower end of the panel. Perform the test within 1 minute (unless a specified dwell time is purposely chosen).

Test method

Locate the test panel in the upper, movable fixture, grips. The adhesion line should be just below, but not touching, the lower part of the upper front jaw.

Locate the tab end of the specimen (Adherend 2 in the table) into the lower, fixed, jaws maintaining alignment of the specimen.

The movable clamp is set travel upwards at 5.0 mm/s, equivalent to 300 mm/min (12 in/min), peeling the tape from the panel.

Data from the first 25 mm (1”) of mechanically peeled tape is ignored.

The average force value over the next 50 mm (2”) of peeling is taken as the adhesion force. Note that with the 180° angle peel, the crosshead displacement values are twice the amount of tape peeled, therefore the area of interest is from 50 mm (2”) to 150 mm (6”) of crosshead travel.

Calculate the peel adhesion value by taking the average force, determined above (in Newton), dividing by the width of the tape and multiplying the result by 10. This gives the required reported result in N/10 mm.

Notes

ASTM D3330 Test Method, Applicable PSA Tape and Adherends