Adhesive tape is a great tool for sticking to even the toughest surfaces and can withstand a lot of wear and tear. However, it does not hold up well to extreme changes in air duct temperature. Heating cycles can cause the adhesive to break down, weakening it over time until it eventually falls off. During World War II, before it was called duct tape, the United States military purchased rubber adhesive tape with a cloth backing for emergency repairs on the battlefield.
In the film industry, it's known as duct tape and is used for everything from joining cables to holding sets together. However, contractors are not supposed to use it for structural purposes, such as suspending pipelines, although this legal restriction is often disregarded. Sherman and Walker also conducted a baking test in which the samples were heated to temperatures of 60 to 75 °C (140 to 187 °F). In many parts of the United States, attic temperatures can easily reach 150 degrees F. Regarding the near-total failure of current adhesive tapes, Walker states: “There's no reason to believe that duct tape adhesives and construction methods can't be reformulated to work better at higher temperatures.”Meanwhile, there are products on the market that exceed industry standards and have good durability as sealants.
Sherman and Walker would like to see better quality adhesive tape, as well as an improved classification system. Both putty sealant and aluminum foil tape are good options for sealing air ducts. Despite its name, never use duct tape to seal air ducts. It simply won't hold up. In both types of tests, adhesive tapes (most of the products tested) were the only sealants that failed.
The ducts are independently supported and all other potential leaks are carefully sealed more tightly than most real-world systems. Adhesive tape (or gaffer tape, as it is known in the film industry) is a rubberized adhesive tape with a cloth backing. Clear tapes, aluminum-backed tapes, putties, and spray sealants may not be as strong but form a good seal all the time. In an experiment conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a three-month test was carried out to determine if adhesive tape could withstand conditions found in common air ducts. It aims to provide better adhesion and strength compared to options such as adhesive tape, which eliminates the problems we have already discussed. And in these cases, adhesive tape and other types of tape for air conditioning systems will not stick to the ducts themselves but will stick to the outer layer of dust.
The aerosol sealing system developed at the EETD at the Berkeley laboratory was tested many times for longer than the others. The researchers simulated air duct conditions using hot and cold temperatures and found that the adhesive tape allowed too much air to escape or simply fell out after a short period of time. When it comes to sealing air ducts, duct tape is not your best option. Putty sealant and aluminum foil tape are much better choices for this job since they can withstand extreme temperatures without breaking down or losing their adhesion. They also form a tighter seal than adhesive tapes do, ensuring that no air escapes from your ducts. In conclusion, duct tape should never be used for sealing air ducts due to its inability to withstand extreme temperatures or form a tight seal.
Putty sealant and aluminum foil tape are much better options since they can withstand high temperatures without breaking down or losing their adhesion.
