Nuclear duct-tape

When normal duct-tape won't cut it, you need nuclear duct-tape, whose "slate blue color makes it ideal for use in nuclear tape facilities and it is certified for low leachable halogens and sulfur. It also provides sunlight and UV resistance for up to one year without the backing deteriorating or delaminating. This product is especially ideal for applications in the shipbuilding, nuclear power plant and stainless steel industries."

3M Performance Plus 8979N Nuclear Grade 48-Millimeter-by-54.8-Meter Duct Tape, Slate Blue (via OhGizmo!)

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dhuff

In a lot of cases, what you really want is gaffer’s tape. Very strong, yet easily torn. And the adhesive will stick to just about anything, yet leaves little to no residue when removed. Won’t harm most surfaces, including ones which are painted.
airship

I don’t know why they bother testing and certifying products like this. They should just rely on the comments of random bloggers instead.
mbatey

Nucular. It’s pronounced nucular.
PaulR

I came here to say this:
Heavy-Duty Duct Tape
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=56121&cat=2,42194,40727

and to say this:
If it’s grey or silver, it’s called duct tape.
If it’s green, it’s called gun tape.
If it’s black, it’s called gaffer tape.
If it’s any other colour, it’s called bookbinding tape.
Halloween Jack

This stuff features largely in Duct Tape Man’s origin.
mdh

I get that it’s good with U-238, but what about WD-40?
dawllyllama

@#17
You do know that gaffer tape comes in other colors as well, right? Black duct tape is not the same as black gaffer tape.
hybrnM

Can’t believe no Navy folks have chimed in. We used to have this special heavy duct tape that had ‘nuclear’ printed on it. Also, i’ve been regaled by submariners with tales of EB Red and EB Green, whatever that was. We are seeing a marketing ploy aimed at persons like myself, or are looking at the real thing, it’s been too long i forget. suffice it to say, I always wanted a roll of that stuff. What can i say, i like good tools.
Anonymous

That 3M stuff is trash, if you’ve used it.

The best stuff ever is by Nashua, and it’s the standard grey. Runs a little bit more expensive, but man. That stuff will stick to anything for years.
PaulR

dawllyllama @20, yeah, I know, but my version’s more fun.
cha0tic

Nuclear Industry. Pah! Let Roadies have it. They’ll test it properly.
VVelox

I’ve always been a fan of the conductive metallic duct tape. It is especially fun for electrical play. =^.^=
Takuan

“Nuclear”. ie: “five times as much as regular”.
TEKNA2007

I use it to tape the tinfoil together. Four out of five doctors surveyed agree, it block 50% more spy-ray emissions.
Anonymous

Says something about the target demographic when it’s commonly bought together with a Rubik’s Cube.
bzishi

I work in the nuclear industry. Yes, nuclear duct tape is real. The primary reason for its existence as far as I can tell is it that it is used for for working in radioactively contaminated areas. You can cleanly rip this type of tape with rubber gloves on and it won’t leave a residue unless you heat it. This is very useful when you don’t want to make a magnet for loose contamination (especially on your gloves when you try to rip it or remove it). Other than that, it is nothing special. Regular duct tape is far better for most uses as the adhesive used in nuclear duct tape is fairly weak.

I believe another issue for nuclear duct tape is a low chloride content. If you melted something with any chloride content on a high temperature steel pipe (like PVC), you would have to do an extensive cleanup (for fear of stress corrosion cracking). Apparently nuclear duct tape is designed to be less corrosive, though I wouldn’t test it out myself.
airship

#25, I still have friends who have a piece of black electrical tape over the flashing “12:00″ on their VCR. :)
Anonymous

vvelox – i like the way you think!
mikefinch

???

So remind me again how its any different from normal duct tape?

Its blue you say? 15$ a foot you say? Ill take 70 rolls i will!

Really- its duct tape. you can buy a roll at your local store for 4$ – what kind of moron would buy this snake oil?
Anonymous

Of course you wouldn’t use non-nuclear duct tape at a “nuclear tape facility”. D’oh.
Antinous / Moderator

Y’all know that you’re supposed to read the product reviews on Amazon, right?

When we found cracks in the containment structure, we used to have to shut the whole plant down; then there was a lot of hassle with the nuclear regulatory agency about structural integrity and environmental contamination. With this quality duct tape, that’s all in the past. Now, when we see a cracked or crumbling wall, we just bring out the tape. The slate blue blends right in. I do recommend that you use use double layers for openings near the reactor core.
WA

@MikeFinch: It’s about 7.5 cents per foot by my calculations. Am I making a mistake somewhere?

It’s actually around the same price as the non-nuclear version (8979); I expect that the tape would be bought by those needing the certifications for things like low halogen levels, though I’m not sure why that would be particularly important. One should note that it is much thicker than $4 a roll duct tape, and probably uses a different adhesive and construction.
nehpetsE

nashua makes some good tape for the money but they make a million different grades. I always peel open the roll in-store to be sure i know what i’m buying

gaff tape SHOULD be carried by every hardware store in the world but, for reasons unclear to me, remains specialty item.

Gorilla (of the much advertised glue) makes a glossy black tape that is starting to be readily available in stores(on the US east coast at least)
Its slightly cheaper than most gaff or mil-spec and almost as good.

I am intrigued by this Tyvek tape that is spoken of.
I will have to buy me some see how i likes it.
Daemon

That red tyvek tape used in construction is still the most uber tape of all. The stuff is amazing.
Piers W

Gaffer tape importantly should be matt black and have a woven cloth base.

Duct tape is shiny and waterproof and usually has a nylon webbing incorporated.
zib007

I have not know the Nuclear duct-tape
Fred H

Antonius,
Did you ever see that Simpsons episode where Homer’s engine light goes on? He tells Lisa that “Daddy will fix the problem,” and he places a piece of duct tape over the engine light symbol, so it isn’t visible anymore. Your comment reminds me of that.
Anonymous

I can now sleep better knowing our nuclear plants are being held together with Duct tape.

Sorry, Nuclear Duct Tape.
- Anonymous
  
  no repairs are made on actual systems with the duct tape, it’s mostly made for quick fixes until a more permanent repair can be made. i work in the nuclear field on a submarine, and i can personally tell you that duct tape doesn’t hold together the plant. it is used a lot while doing maintenance to keep small pieces from getting lost (really small allen wrenches and tiny pieces of wiring) and from holding protective covers in place when we have to walk away from the job area. keep sleeping easy #13
Takuan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHkWv1vHtHk
kaiza

In Soviet Russia, nuclear duct tape irradiates you!
Anonymous

Manufacturing companies regularly make a product specifically for use in a particular industry — when there is a need identified in the market, and no existing product meets that need, they’ll custom make something, if they feel that there is enough demand to justify the new product.

They will, then, expand thedistribution of this product to other, related industries that might have similar needs…and these products only rarely make the retail (read: general population) market.

3M in particular is quite adept at making specialty products (I am not affiliated with 3M in any way) –and I’m guessing that your local hardware store or Home Depot wouldn’t even be allowed to special order this product for you, as it is most likely sold only through their industrial sales channels.