Processs for producing pressure-sensitive adhesive tape

A process for preparing a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprising the steps of:

• (1) providing a backing made from a polymeric film;
• (2) orienting said backing in the machine direction;
• (3) applying a layer of low-adhesion backsize composition to one major surface of said oriented backing;
• (4) applying a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive to the major surface of said oriented backing not bearing the layer of low-adhesion backsize composition, the amount of said adhesive being sufficient to allow intermixing of said layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive and said backing upon cross-stretching of said layer-bearing backing;
• (5) orienting said layer-bearing backing in the transverse direction by heating and cross-stretching the layer-bearing backing in the transverse direction, provided that said layer-bearing backing is heated sufficiently to allow sufficient softening thereof so that said backing and said layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive can intermix during cross-stretching, further provided that said layer-bearing backing is not heated so excessively that said backing melts or loses its orientation in the machine direction during cross-stretching;
• and
• (6) winding the machine direction oriented, transverse direction oriented, layer-bearing backing onto a roll.