Scotch tape is an all-purpose adhesive tape.
Scotch tape is a popular brand of cellophane tape, made from clear cellophane coated with adhesive. Originally called cellulose tape, it provided an easy way for people to make simple repairs during the Great Depression when they did not have money to spare. Its inventor was also responsible for masking tape, created to help automobile painters mark painting borders on two-tone cars.
History
Richard Drew, a 3M employee, invented Scotch tape in 1930. He first got the idea when a company designing railroad refrigeration cars asked for 3M's help in creating a waterproof covering for their insulation batts. Although Drew's idea to add adhesive to cellophane, a new waterproof material, didn't work for the refrigeration cars, it took off as a moistureproof seal for packages.
Development
Scotch brand cellophane tape continued to develop over the years. In 1939, 3M introduced the first hand-held Scotch tape dispenser. Originally made from metal, the dispenser made Scotch tape easier to use. 3M continued to develop more advanced versions of Scotch tape: in 1945, the company created double-sided tape, which has adhesive on both sides, and in 1961 it introduced Magic tape, which had a matte finish rather than the original glossy finish, making it virtually invisible on most surfaces. Today, 3M sells more than 400 varieties of tape.
How It Works
Not even scientists are certain how Scotch tape and other adhesives work. Adhesives are made of polymers: long, chain-like molecules that get tangled up in each other. One common theory is that adhesives create air bubbles between surfaces, which act like tiny suction cups. Scotch tape has a pressure-sensitive adhesive, meaning that it sticks when you press it onto a surface. 3M has not revealed the recipe they use for the adhesive on Scotch tape, other than to say it is an acrylic polymer.
Uses
Aside from the typical uses such as packaging gifts and repairing torn book pages, Scotch tape users have found a number of unusual and innovative ways to make Scotch tape useful around their homes. Farmers have prevented waste by using Scotch tape to patch cracks in eggs. Grocers and meat packers have found the moisture-proof seal especially useful for packaging food items.
Naming
According to a 1975 issue of "The Office," 3M's trade magazine, the name "Scotch" comes from an ethnic slur painting Scottish people as cheap or stingy. Drew's original masking tape did not have enough adhesive to stick properly, prompting an angry customer to tell Drew, "Take this back to your stingy Scotch bosses and tell them to put more adhesive on it." 3M turned this slur around during the Great Depression, when people were trying to save money by repairing things. The brand name "Scotch" denoted a positive quality: thriftiness.
