The Impact of Petrochemicals on Adhesive Tape Production
Adhesive tape is a product highly dependent on the petrochemical industry. From the core adhesive and base films to the release liners, nearly every element is derived from petroleum or natural gas processing.
The following outlines the primary petrochemical products used in tape manufacturing and their specific applications:
Application Advantages:
High Purity: Compared to PVC, which may release plasticizers, PO film is more stable with lower ionic contamination. Therefore, it is widely used in semiconductor dicing and BG tapes.
Excellent Stretchability: It possesses superior elongation properties, making it ideal for wafer expansion after dicing.
Weather Resistance: Offers strong resistance to chemicals and solvents.
Release Agents: Mostly organosilicon or long-chain alkyl substances. These chemicals require petrochemical solvents during synthesis and dissolution.
Primers: Used to increase the adhesion between the glue and the substrate, usually containing synthetic resin components.
Solvents: Such as toluene and ethyl acetate. Although modern processes favor water-based or hot-melt adhesives, high-performance industrial tapes still frequently rely on solvent-based processes.
Antioxidants and UV Absorbers: These prevent the tape from aging, yellowing, or becoming brittle.
The following outlines the primary petrochemical products used in tape manufacturing and their specific applications:
1. Adhesives
The adhesive is the "soul" of the tape. Currently, most adhesives used by Solar Plus Company fall into these three categories:Acrylic Adhesive: Derived from propylene in the petrochemical chain. It offers excellent weather resistance and transparency, commonly used in the electronics industry and general packaging. Solar Plus Company's UV-release tapes and thermal-release tapes both utilize acrylic-based technology.
Rubber Adhesive: Synthetic rubbers such as SBR, SIS, or SBS. The base raw materials are butadiene and styrene. These are typically used for sealing tapes or applications requiring high initial tack. At Solar Plus, these are primarily used for de-taping tapes.
Silicone Adhesive: While silicon is the base, the synthesis process requires petrochemical derivatives like methylchlorosilane. Silicone can withstand extreme temperatures and is frequently used in electronic component manufacturing, such as Solar Plus's QFN tapes, high-temperature PCB masking tapes, MLCC tape and tubeless rim tapes for bicycles.
2. Substrates (Base Materials)
The substrate determines the physical strength and characteristics of the tape. In addition to standard materials, Solar Plus Company frequently utilizes:Polyester (PET): Derived from terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). PET film has extremely high strength and good temperature resistance, making it the preferred substrate for electronic industrial tapes.
Polyolefin (PO): Primarily synthesized through the polymerization of ethylene and propylene.
Characteristics: PO films (such as PE/PP copolymers) are considered environmentally friendly materials, producing only carbon dioxide and water upon combustion without containing chlorine.Application Advantages:
High Purity: Compared to PVC, which may release plasticizers, PO film is more stable with lower ionic contamination. Therefore, it is widely used in semiconductor dicing and BG tapes.
Excellent Stretchability: It possesses superior elongation properties, making it ideal for wafer expansion after dicing.
Weather Resistance: Offers strong resistance to chemicals and solvents.
3. Release Coatings and Surface Treatments
To ensure the tape can be unwound or peeled smoothly, the following are applied to the surface:Release Agents: Mostly organosilicon or long-chain alkyl substances. These chemicals require petrochemical solvents during synthesis and dissolution.
Primers: Used to increase the adhesion between the glue and the substrate, usually containing synthetic resin components.
4. Solvents and Additives
The formulation of chemicals during the production process is also inseparable from petrochemical products:Solvents: Such as toluene and ethyl acetate. Although modern processes favor water-based or hot-melt adhesives, high-performance industrial tapes still frequently rely on solvent-based processes.
Antioxidants and UV Absorbers: These prevent the tape from aging, yellowing, or becoming brittle.
Supply Chain Resilience
Due to the impact of the current conflict between the U.S. and Iran affecting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have surged, leading to concerns over raw material shortages. However, Solar Plus Company has coordinated effectively with upstream suppliers to manage raw material inventory, ensuring a stable supply for our customers and mitigating the risk of material shortages.
2026-03-31
