SATURATE:
Incorporating materials onto the backing for greater strength and resistance to various deleterious environments. The backing of paper tapes may contain up to 50% by weight of a rubber based impregnate.

SATURATOR:
The equipment used to saturate tape backings with solutions.

SHEAR ADHESION:
see Holding Power

SHEAR CUTTER:
Machine that slits tape by rotating knives, duplicating a scissors action. A strong edge results, and tough thick materials such as metal foil tape can be cut by this technique.

SHEAR STRENGTH:
Resistance of tape to slipping, or of its adhesive to internal splitting, when a load is applied along the plane of the tape.

SHOCK RESISTANCE:
see Impact Resistance

SILICONE RUBBER:
Polymers with rubber-like properties based on organic silicone compounds that are resistant to degradation at very high temperatures, whilst maintaining good flexibility at low temperatures.

SIZING:
Process of applying a solution to a web or yarn surface in order to improve handling or functional characteristics of the material.

SHELF LIFE:
Amount of useful life of a tape in storage.

SHRINKAGE:
Loss of dimension of tape when exposed to either heat or other environmental conditions.

SLITTER:
Machine used to cut wide-width (bundle) rolls of tape into individual rolls with a specified length and width.

SLITTER KNIFE:
Circular steel wheel, sharpened to a specified angle and radius, cutting coated backings into rolls of predetermined size.

SLIVERING:
Referring to masking tape, when a tape tears when being removed from a surface.

SOLVENT:
In pressure-sensitive tape technology it is the liquid that the various adhesive ingredients are dissolved into to facilitate the application to a substrate.

SOLVENT DISPERSION:
Mixture that the adhesive components in finely divided form are suspended in a solvent rather than being dissolved.

SPLICE:
A point where two separate lengths of tape are joined together.

SPLITTING:
Referring to delamination of the tape layers, or to the lengths rupture of the tape backing.

SNAP TEST:
A test that is taken without proper conditions.

SOLIDS:
Percentage by weight of the non-volatile matter in an adhesive or other solution.

SOLUBILITY:
Degree to which a tape or a component of a tape will dissolve in a specific solvent.

SOLUTIONS:
Homogeneous liquid mixtures, often involving a solid material dissolved in a solvent.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY:
Ratio of the weight of any volume of material compared to the weight of an equal volume of water.

SPECIFICATION:
Referring to a set of instructions used to manufacture a tape and against which a tape is tested and measured.

SPLICE TABLE:
Used to facilitate splicing as an attachment.

SPOOLED TAPE:
Tape wound spirally on a wide core in layers, giving unusually long lengths to be packaged in a continuous length.

SPOOLING:
Process of winding spooled tape, similar to a fishing line wound on a reel.

STABILISER:
Chemical added to prolong the life of a material.

STAINING:
Discoloration of a surface to which a tape has been applied.

STAIN RESISTANCE:
Freedom of a tape from discoloration of surfaces to which it is applied.

STIFFNESS:
Bending resistance of a tape. Low stiffness is one important factor determining the tapes conformability.

STORAGE STABILITY:
The ability of a tape to retain a specified level of its original properties after defined conditions of storage.

STREAKS:
Distortions in the adhesive coat, represented by lines, marks, or scrapes having a different colour, shade, texture or absence of coating this is readily distinguished from the normal uniform appearance.

STRESS RELAXATION:
Tape treatment to remove stresses introduced in processing.

STRIKE THROUGH:
Condition resulting when the application of a coating solution comes through the web, partially depositing the coating on the reverse side.

STRINGINESS:
Condition of the mass in which it feels very soft and mushy. On closer examination long legs or strings of mass can be pulled out.

STYRENE BUTADIENE:
A synthetic rubber made from styrene and butadiene monomers. Used in adhesive and saturates.

SOLVENT RESISTANCE:
Tapes resistance to a backing or adhesive to dissolving in an organic solvent.

SUBSTRATE:
The primary component of tape upon which the adhesive is applied. It could be any continuous material.