WHAT IS AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TAPE (ECT) ?
Electrically conductive tapes – or ECT – are technical tapes that combine mechanical adhesion with electrical conductivity. They are electricity-conducting tapes.
They are made of a pressure-sensitive acrylic conductive adhesive and various conductive backings (woven, non-woven, copper, aluminum, foam), ensuring reliable electrical continuity between two surfaces while providing strong bonding.
They play an increasingly essential role, as they support the operation of connected devices in a variety of environments.
Applications of electrically conductive tape
ECT adhesives tapes have a wide range of applications in the most demanding industries, such as general electronics, automotive, aerospace, defense, household appliances, medical, and telecommunications.
Consumer electronics
- Grounding of flexible printed circuits (FPC)
- Bonding antennas, screens, cameras, smartphones, and tablets
Electrostatic protection
- Management of electrostatic discharges (ESD) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
Automotive, aerospace and defense
- Integration into sensitive electronic systems
Médical & télécommunications
- Securing components and enhancing the reliability of connected devices
aDVANTAGES OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TAPEs
- Alternative to soldering: no heat, no mechanical stress
- Reliability in extreme environments: conductivity maintained even under high humidity and elevated temperatures
- Flexibility: conformability on irregular surfaces and during thermal cycles
- Productivity: fast application, precise die-cutting, and compatibility with automation
- Durability: dimensional stability and tear resistance depending on the type of backing (woven or non-woven)
The woven backing provides high tear resistance, excellent dimensional stability, and better repositionability, while the non-woven backing allows faster wet-out, outstanding conformability, and excellent die-cutting performance.
tesa® solutions in electrically conductive tapes (ECT)
As a global leader in adhesive solutions, tesa® offers a complete range of ECT products tailored to the needs of the electronics and high-tech industries.
We provide a comprehensive portfolio according to application: double-sided adhesive tapes for grounding, single-sided adhesive tapes for shielding, and single-sided foams for gap filling.
Our expertise, recognized by tesa® as a Platinum Converter, allows us to deliver custom die-cut adhesive solutions!
Grounding solutions
- Double-sided ECT adhesive tapes with woven backing
These are double-sided gray electrically conductive tapes, composed of a conductive woven backing and an electrically conductive acrylic adhesive.
They are designed for mounting applications requiring grounding and shielding of flexible printed circuits, antennas, displays, and cameras.
Advantages :
- Stronger bonding, better conductivity, balanced performance
- High-performance reliability
- Available with two different backings to best fit your needs
tesa® 60252
Total thickness: 55 µm – PE-coated paper liner – Initial adhesion on steel: 5.5 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days : 8.5 N/cm – Surface resistivity: 0.05 Ohm/square inch
tesa® 60253
Total thickness: 55 µm – PE-coated paper liner – Initial adhesion on steel: 5.5 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days : 8.5 N/cm- Surface resistivity: 0.05 Ohm/square inch
tesa® 60254
Total thickness: 100 µm – PE-coated paper liner – Initial adhesion on steel: 4.8 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days : 9.7 N/cm – Surface resistivity: 0.05 Ohm/square inch
✅ Excellent XYZ electrical conductivity, even under high temperature and humidity conditions
✅ Strong adhesive performance even in harsh environments
✅ Tear-resistant backing ensuring excellent dimensional stability
tesa® 60255
Conductive woven backing – Thickness: 120 µm – Outstanding mechanical strength and XYZ conductivity – Ideal for EMC, grounding, and ESD applications
- Double-sided ECT Adhesive Tapes with Non-woven Backing
These are black double-sided electrically conductive tapes, made of a conductive non-woven backing and an electrically conductive acrylic adhesive.
tesa® 60371
Total thickness: 30 µm – Transparent PET liner – Initial adhesion on steel: 3.5 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days: 5.1 N/cm – Surface resistivity: 0.01 Ohm/square inch
tesa® 60372
Total thickness: 50 µm – Transparent PET liner – Initial adhesion on steel: 4.3 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days: 5.6 N/cm – Surface resistivity: 0.01 Ohm/square inch
EMI shielding & covering solutions
Single-sided ECT acrylic conductive tapes can have either a copper or aluminum backing.
They are used for EMI shielding and covering applications, as well as ESD grounding of displays and other components.
Advantages
- Excellent EMI shielding performance
- Outstanding XYZ electrical conductivity, ensuring very good grounding performance
- High adhesion level
- Single-sided ECT Adhesive Tapes with Copper Backing
These are orange single-sided electrically conductive adhesive tapes, composed of a conductive copper backing and an electrically conductive acrylic adhesive.
tesa® 60537
Total thickness: 30 µm – Transparent PET liner, 50 µm – Adhesion after 14 days: 7.5 N/cm – Surface resistivity: 0.05 Ohm/square inch
tesa®60538
Total thickness: 50 µm – Transparent PET liner, 50 µm – Adhesion after 14 days: 7.5 N/cm -Surface resistivity: 0.05 Ohm/square inch
- Single-sided ECT Adhesive Tapes with Aluminum Backing
These are pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes consisting of a 40 µm aluminum foil, an electrically conductive acrylic adhesive, and a white siliconized paper liner (65 µm).
tesa®4386
Total thickness: 85 µm – White paper liner – Initial adhesion on steel: 3 N/cm – Z-direction contact resistance: 5 mOhm – Elongation at break: 6%
Gap-filling solutions
The grey single-sided ECT foam adhesives consist of a perforated foam coated with an electrically conductive layer and an electrically conductive adhesive.
They are specifically designed for applications requiring conductivity combined with gap-filling properties, as well as for EMI shielding, cushioning, and grounding.
Different foam thicknesses are available, providing high conformability.
tesa® 60246
Foam thickness: 300 µm – PE-coated paper liner, 120 µm
Initial adhesion: 4.1 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days: 5.3 N/cm – Surface resistivity: 0.03 Ohm/square inch
tesa® 60248
Foam thickness: 500 µm – PE-coated paper liner, 120 µm
Initial adhesion: 4.8 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days: 6.3 N/cm
Surface resistivity: 0.03 Ohm/square inch
tesa® 60217
Highly compressible conductive foam backing with conductive adhesive
Foam thickness: 1,500 µm PE-coated paper liner, 120 µm
Initial adhesion: 5 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days: 8.5 N/cm
Surface resistivity: 0.03 Ohm/square inch
tesa® 60218
Highly compressible conductive foam backing with conductive adhesive
Foam thickness: 2,000 µm PE-coated paper liner, 120 µm
Initial adhesion: 5 N/cm – Adhesion after 14 days: 8.5 N/cm
Surface resistivity: 0.03 Ohm/square inch
Electrically Conductive Tapes (ECT) represent an innovative and strategic solution for modern industries.
As a reliable alternative to soldering, they simplify assembly, ensure component reliability, and enable ever thinner and higher-performing designs.
👉 For more details :
https://www.tesa.com/en/industry/products/conductive-tape
Check out our brochure on tesa® electrically conductive adhesive tapes !
👉 Our expertise : custom die-cut adhesive solutions!
