What resource is used to make tape?

Question

Mylar tape ^^

Answer 1

It depends upon the tape.  Masking tape?  Duct tape?  "Scotch tape" (I'm sure this is not the proper name of this stuff...)?  Electrical tape?  Teflon plumber's tape?

Most tapes are made from plastic, which is made from resin, which is made from oil.

PS: "Scotch tape" is not made from the alcohol named "scotch".  Actually, the story goes that when 3M first came out with it, they had some quality control problems.  A salesman called on a business that had bought some and the customer was not happy.  He told the salesman to "take this scotch tape with you" and the name stuck.

Scotch in this case, was intended as an insult.  A number of ethnic groups are know (rightfully or wrongfully) for being, well, cheap, and doing things, half a$$ed.  This particular customer was in an ethnic group that thought this of the Scotts, and thus he was implying that the tape was low quality and made of cheap materials.

No Scotch was harmed (or consumed) in the making of "Scotch tape".  This is now a "brand name" of 3M's (like "Kleenax" is  brand name of facial tissue, but people still say "hand me a kleenax" rather than "hand me a facial tissue", etc.).  I'm sure there is a more generic name for this type of tape, I just don' t know it.

Answer 2

Tape is a common name for a large number of materials and purposes but accurately only defines the physical aspect of being a  narrow flexible strip of something. For example there are tapes of magnetized polymer for recording, tapes of fabric coated with adhesive for affixing items or tapes of woven fabric that are stretched across a finish line of a race.

Even insects can make tapes of chemicals for various purposes. To achieve a practical answer it would be best if you indicated to what purpose the tape would be used...because for example, adhesive tape can be made with significantly different properties/materials.