Polyimide temperature resistance

Polyimide films and tapes’ temperature resistance

Customers frequently inquire about the temperature resistance of our polyimide films and tapes. Though this is a common question, it is not as straightforward to answer. Temperature resistance of any product is subject to the temperature resistance of each of its components. Even the term “temperature resistance” leaves a lot of room for discussion. So, in order to figure out temperature resistance of polyimide films and tapes, we must address each one individually.

How should the temperature resistance of polyimide tapes be defined?
Two things happen when a polyimide tapes are heated at higher temperatures. The first is that the polyimide backing will be warmed up, and the second is that the adhesive strength deteriorates. If your application requires high adherence of your polyimide tapes at higher temperatures, this is how you should specify the top operating temperature. If, after applying the tape to the item, the adhesive strength is no longer required, but the polyimide film itself is not permitted to burn, then this is up to what temperature polyimide tapes can resist.

What is the temperature resistance of each component of polyimide tape?
The polyimide film itself can withstand temperatures of up to 400°C without having issues from burning or mechanical damage. The most frequently used adhesives for Polyimide tape are either Acrylic or Silicone. Acrylic adhesive begins to lose most of its adhesive strength when being heated to 100°C, while the adhesive strength of silicone adhesive begins to deteriorate above 260°C.

If your application only exposes the part to these temperatures for just a brief timeframe (say 3–10 minutes), then it depends whether the tape is actually heated up to that temperature. When it comes to heating the tape to high temperatures, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the polyimide tape itself will get to that temperature. When heat is taken away, the adhesion loss of the adhesive will mostly be recovered.

Obviously, you should watch for the temperature resistance of the polyimide tapes you are going to use, but after reading this article, I believe that you should have the confident knowing that you can indeed test it out yourself to see if the tape actually works for your application.

 Please feel free to contact us if you have more questions regarding our polyimide films and tapes.