Duct Tape
Its versatility as a fix-all tool is legend. Its reputation for saving the day, solving even life-threatening problems, was cemented in 1970 during the Apollo 13 mission.
In 1942, the US military faced a recurring problem: moisture was damaging soldiers’ ammunition cases. Factory worker Vesta Stoudt wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 with the idea to seal the boxes with a fabric tape. The letter was forwarded to the War Production Board, which put Johnson & Johnson on the job. Their Revolite division had made medical adhesive tapes from cotton duck cloth from 1927 and a team headed by Revolite’s Johnny Denoye and Johnson & Johnson’s Bill Gross developed the new adhesive tape that was waterproof, strong and versatile – designed to be ripped by hand, not cut with scissors.
Their new unnamed product was made of thin cotton duck coated in waterproof polyethylene (plastic) with a layer of rubber-based grey adhesive (branded as “Polycoat”) bonded to one side. For a very detailed yet strangely enthralling explanation of the science behind duct tape, check out this video by chemical engineer Bill Hammack aka @engineerguy.
Soldiers nicknamed it “duck tape” because of its water-repellent properties, likening it to a duck’s feathers. The tape’s cotton duck fabric backing gave it additional durability, allowing it to withstand the rigours of wartime use.
After the war, the tape found a new purpose in the booming post-war construction industry. Workers discovered that this tough, sticky tape was perfect for joining heating and air conditioning ducts. Manufacturers adapted the product for this new market, changing its original army green colour to a metallic grey to match the ducts it now sealed. With this transition, the name also evolved from “duck tape” to “duct tape” – reflecting its new primary use.
By the 1960s and 1970s, duct tape had become a staple in households throughout the world. Its reputation as a fix-all tool spread quickly, as people discovered its utility for everything from mending broken items to emergency repairs. It was during this period that duct tape truly entered the cultural zeitgeist.
Duct tape’s reputation for saving the day, solving even life-threatening problems, was cemented in 1970 during the Apollo 13 mission. When an explosion crippled the spacecraft, the astronauts used duct tape to improvise a makeshift carbon dioxide filter. This was also portrayed in the 1995 film Apollo 13. See the scene here or below.
As the decades have passed, duct tape’s uses continued to expand. Manufacturers introduced coloured and patterned versions, sparking creative projects like duct tape wallets and art installations. Duct tape’s widespread popularity and multitude of uses has earned it a strong place in popular culture, and has inspired a vast number of creative and imaginative applications. It has been featured in TV shows such as MythBusters … and also rates a mention in our previously featured celebration of duct tape’s sidekick WD-40. [RR2:84]. For a chuckle, watch the “WD-40” video below.
Finally, we should probably make mention of Tim Nyberg and Jim Berg aka the Duct Tape Guys. They have written several best-selling books about duct tape. In 1994 Tim and Jim coined the phrase: “it ain’t broke, it just lacks duct tape.”
Postscript
Duct vs Duck. Don’t be confused. “Duck Tape” is a brand of duct tape made by Shurtape Technologies, but there are other makers of duct tape, e.g. 3M.
Story Idea: Thierry Baume
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