Honors Theses
Advisor
Margaret Pinnell
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Publication Date
Spring 4-2015
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Two categories were used to assess the strength of duct tape constructions: adhesive strength and tensile strength. Previously made duct tape backpacks frequently suffered from adhesive failure around shoulder straps. When a backpack is lifted, it experiences a force which is greater than the resting weight. The hypothesis states that there is an area of application between two pieces of duct tape such that they will behave as a uniform piece and experience tensile failure, that two sufficiently overlapped pieces can hold within 5% of the load carried by a single piece, and that there is a relationship between the resting weight of a loaded backpack and the load applied to the straps when lifted.
Five types of tape underwent tensile and lap shear testing in an Instron 4486 load frame. The tension test specimens were of uniform length, the lap-shear specimens had lengths which varied with the areas of overlap. There were two types of lap shear specimens: with adhesive layers in contact (LSA), and with the adhesive of one half adhered to the backing of the other (LSN). Maximum load and extension data was collected. Three backpacks were tested to determine the apparent load carried by the shoulder straps and handles when various static loads were applied. The backpacks were lifted with a Desik analog push-pull gauge which recorded maximum load.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
Disciplines
Engineering | Mechanical Engineering
eCommons Citation
Ker, Robin Elizabeth, "School-Books on Tape: The Tensile and Adhesive Strength of Duct Tape in a College Backpack" (2015). Honors Theses. 73.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/73