The PSA functions without the need for either a physical or chemical change to take place. Its unique design provides enough potential deformability and wettability so that the necessary intimate contact to a surface can be achieved, yet there is enough internal strength, or cohesion, within the adhesive for it to be able to resist any moderate separation forces. The behavior of PSA can be reduced to three fundamental and interconnected physical properties: adhesion, tack, and holding power.
In the case of PSAs, surface energy this is the means to obtain the intimate contact necessary to form a bond. And, it is known that peel adhesion increases with increasing adhesive thickness and levels off at some thickness. The stresses are transmitted through the adhesive to the backing. The adhesive is deformed and the force required to deform the adhesive contributes to the measured peel force. So, in the PSA tape, the bulky physical properties of PSA are the control factor of the adhesive properties.