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Published online 22 October 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1185
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Sticky tape generates X-rays
How weird is that?
Christmas could bring with it a new hazard as you wrap your gifts – X-ray-emitting sticky tape.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have shown that simply peeling ordinary sticky tape in a vacuum can generate enough X-rays to take an image — of one of the scientists' own fingers (see videos.
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If you haven't noticed, when Scotch tape is adhered to information printed on Thermal Paper, such as used on many cash registers, the ink directly under the tape disappears very quickly. I have never tried other brands of tape to see if the same effect occurs. Normally, the ink on thermal paper fades away anyway over a period of a few short years, but maybe the X-rays have something to do with the increased rate of fading.
Just a comment if the tape is a polyester film then there is some degree of crystallinity which can be shown under X-ray diffraction. The viscoelastic liquid which is the adhesive is the amorphous one. In applying adhesive to polyester film the tape manufacture may have exposed the tape to Corona treatment and what you maybe seeing is some trapped ions under vacuum when peeling the tape. You may want to peel a roll of polyester that has no adhesive but has been Corona treated prior to the test, and a control roll of same PE of same thickness but has not been treated. If the film is PP then you should see similar behavior, most PP films to promote adhesion do get some sort of surface treatment and that could be plasma , Corona or flame that lead to the formation of some ions that may still be trapped within the film(polymer).
I've always been fascinated by the faint purple glow I see when opening a BandAid wrapper in a very dark room. I assume the photons are released by bond breakage on the glue polymers used to seal the wrapper. But if Scotch tape can release X-rays, I wonder if BandAids can, too? Who knows, it may be a widespread phenomenon across many adhesive products...
Hope these guys are wearing their dosimeters. Wouldn't want them to go the way of Madame Curie after she played with radium.
I loved the movie and the fibril extension process occurring during peeling. Quite descriptive! Several papers published in the J Adhesion some time ago come to mine as also describing pressure sensitive adhesive fractoemission detected from arrays of detectors with varying sensory capacity. I've included the references for others. I'll look forward to reading the new paper once I have access to compare the results. MA ZY, et al, JOURNAL OF ADHESION, 1988:25:63-77, DICKINSON JT, DONALDSON EE, J ADHESION 1987:24:199-220, DONALDSON EE, et al, J ADHESION 1986: 19:267-286
This is fascinating, and the video is great. You can tell that these folks are as astounded by the results as anyone else. Maybe there is something to the old joke about duct tape holding the universe together...
You should try athletic tape. If you peel it in the dark, you can actually see a green light where the tape is pealing.
You should really try fiberglass trape, it brightly flouresces in dim light as you peel it off the roll.
Chew a wintergreen Lifesaver in dim light in front of a mirror to see sugar generate light I've heard.
These powers... I can't control them... From now, I shall be called Radioactive Tape man!
To Mr. Juan Escobar Another phenomena I have noticed is with a product that I have used for many years - Breath rite strips. This product is package in an individual packet, sealed with an unknown adhesive. When you peel the package open in a dark room, visible light is produced. It would be interesting to know if other energy is emmitted. James Levinson, O.D., F.A.A.O.
I have also noticed that "Breath Right Nasal Strips" emit a blue-white light at the junction of the strip and the backing, while peeling the backing away. Since I use these and usually apply them in the dark at bedtime, I observe this frequently.
To John Wentz you baet me to it! I have noticed the same effect when using "Breath Right Nasal Strips" and often wondered what caused it. Wouldn't it be something if we were emitting X-Rays in low doses to our selves every night and not knowing it.
these experiments are really amazing, I'm wondering if it would be possibile to make a set up to detect if exists any preferential direction of the Xrays. Paolo Corelli
There someone goes, always stealing my thunder. I've known about this in not-so-scientific terms for about 20 years. Do it yourself! Just open a bandaid wrapper in the dark and watch the pretty green light from the adhesive coming apart.
If the effect is strong enough to expose x-ray film, perhaps this effect could be used to make tiny battery free portable x-ray machines. The tape could be wound on a magnet assembly, and then magnets external to the pocket size vacuum box could be used to unwind the tape. This could be a revolutionary way to bring better dentistry to third world countries or better first aid for field medics.
Next, someone needs to check out the un-sticking of velcro in a vacuum!
Years ago, in a photographic darkroom, I noticed a faint glow from the unpeeling of the cloth-backed sealing tape on a Kodak film can. I was told that a variety of adhesive tapes produce this glow because of the liberation of electrons and subsequent excitation of air molecules. Now, I suppose, all these tapes will produced x-rays- at least in a vacuum. I wonder if this might help further our understanding of the molecular basis of friction between different surfaces.
To Nelson: The ink under the tape disappears quickly just because it is dissolved by the adhesive liquid, I think.
In Breathe Right strips, the luminescent effect occurs both in peeling apart the wrapper, and in removing the backing paper from the strip. Roll photographic film (120, and 127 when it still existed) has a strip of tape that secures the film to the backing paper. It has long been an item of darkroom lore that this tape should be removed slowly to lessen the possibility of fogging the film from electrostatic discharge. For something this mundane to generate X-rays is marvelous and astonishing.
Scotch Magic(tm) tape adhesive is designed to avoid contact electrification. The values of voltage produced by other brands is much higher, so if 15KeV xrays are easily produced, perhaps 150KeV wouldn't be impossible.
TEACHERS: for some school science activity suggestions involving adhesive tape, search on keywords "sticky electrostatics."
Gentlemen: If X-rays can be created by something as benign as sticky tape maybe there is no need for scientists to allege that galactic black holes create the X-rays seen in space. Recall that Black holes were created by scientists to explain the X-rays seen in space (because only a black hole had enough energy to create an X-ray). Maybe there are NO black holes. Maybe the X-rays seen in space are created by some other as yet unknown process rather than being discharged from a black holes in space. This discovery may be proof that black holes do NOT exist.
22 Oct, 2008 Posted by: Dan Kuehner "Who knows, it may be a widespread phenomenon across many adhesive products" Thats true. But it also may be material specific too. Meaning it only occurs when the "right" mixture of chemical and atomic proprieties are involved.
Does this mean astronauts shoukd be warned not to use duct tape when in vacuum? (I assume this works with duct tape, I have seen this light coming from ordinary masking tape) Also remember this x-ray phenonema may apply to the other examples mentioned like lifesavers being crushed or sugar cubes being scratched. This opens up incredible possibilities.
What about the static generated with some fabrics? If it is done in vacuum, would it generate x-rays?
I too have observed this phenomenon once. The other day, I was opening my PG university application form and I noticed a strange but coooooool light emitted at the junction when I started to peel off the adhesive. I believe the light is comming as a result of the bonds being broken in the adhesive at the junction. X-Rays!!!! Hmmmmmm... . Thats awesome.. . .Wowww.. . . I wonder if the people working on this can make efficient use of this by somehow elevating the quantity of radiation being emitted. That would be such a coool thing to happen.. Trigger a nuclear fusion??...Guys,, , , are u serious. . !!!..... . . Albert Einstein would have loved this !!!! :) Such a cost effective way to make a fusion reactor that could generate vast amounts of electricity.. But could also open up doors for another devil called a "Modern Fusion Bomb". . Hope this does not happen !!. .. Guess I am making a bit of farsighted comments hhhuuaannnn!!!.,.