It's been described as the "Rock Star of Adhesive Strips." It is the ultimate packaging and shipping supply. It is sturdy, durable, and reliable.
It is duct tape. And it is the King of Shipping Tape.
It was in 1985 that the fictional action-adventure secret agent Angus MacGyverwas described as being able to "fix a computer with a hairpin and a piece of duct tape." Since then, thousands of different "duct tape fix it" sayings have been coined, all centered around the same theme:
You can fix anything with just a little bit of duct tape.
It was in the 1920s that Richard Drew of Minnesota invented the first adhesive tape that would eventually develop into todays more famous brand. Technically, it is just a polyethylene pressure-sensitive multi-purpose tape. Though it comes in black, it is most recognizable in its glossy grey.
Its origin was during World War II, when duct tape was developed as a water-resistant sealer for ammunition cases (And was available in a camo-green). With its rubber-based adhesive and a strengthening fabric backing, the tape was used as a quick-fix for jeeps, firearms, aircrafts, and other damaged military equipment. The basic assumption has become, if it was good enough for protecting weapons during World War II, surely it is good enough to work in the home.
MacGyver isn't the only reference to duct tape in pop culture (though it can be argued there would be no MacGyver without it). Martin Crane, a character on the sitcom Fraiser, was known for his beloved duct-tape-covered lounge chair. An entire film was created, called Duct Tape Forever, a spin-off of The Red Green Show. And the Discovery Channel's MythBusters dedicated tow whole episodes to the adhesive, attempting a series of stunts including the creation of a duct tape cannon and using it to lift a car. The only goal that the MythBusters set out to accomplish with the tape that they were unable to was failing to stop a moving car, however they did successfully test a single strips strength at over 60 pounds.
The word "duct" (often confused with Duck, as it was initially called in the Army due to being water-resistent) has recently been questioned as improper advertising. Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Environment energy Technologies Division concluded that the tape should NOT be used to seal ducts, as that under the more normal of conditions the tape becomes brittle and will eventually fail. In fact, the State of California has prohibited the used of the tape as a means of sealing ducts, and a majority of building codes throughout the United States prohibit the same thing.
This doesn't mean duct tapes practical uses doesn't expand beyond boxes and packaging. In fact, the tape's use expands all the way to the moon. NASA engineers and astronauts have famously relief on duct tape, most notably the crew of Apollo 13, who used the tape, as well as other items on the spacecraft, to build a makeshift workaround that would save the three crewmembers lives.
Ed Smylie, the NASA employee who designed the modification that saved the lives of the Apollo 13 crew, claimed he knew the passengers of the spacecraft were "home free" once he became aware they had duct tape on board.
"One thing a Southern boy will never say is, 'I don't think duct tape will fix it,'" Smylie said in 2005.
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