Description

Tack cloth (tack rag; tac cloth) is a specialized type of wiping cloth that is treated with a tacky material. It is designed to remove loose particles of dust, dirt and lint that would contaminate a surface that is to be painted, coated, laminated, photo-etched, or otherwise finished.
The tack component is typically a kind of resinous material, often a petroleum derivative. The resin system may be solvent-based, water-based, or (more commonly in North America) a hot-melt. Different tack treatment materials, formulations and systems present different advantages or disadvantages. Concerns with different tack treatments may be seen in the tendencies of some to dry-out or to leave residues from free oils or evaporating solvents, or with liabilities due to content of hazardous air pollutants (HAP's), or in health risk from volatile organic components (VOC's), and in materials that can chemically interfere with paints, 'etc.' Common misnomers for tack treatments are varnish, lacquer, beeswax or other references that do not describe the actual materials in modern commercial tack cloths. Adjuncts may be incorporated into the tack treatments, such as anti-static additives, fire retardants, dyes or other performance-enhancing materials.

Overall tack performance is actually a combination of independent qualities such as adhesion, cohesion, wet tack (quick-stick) and other well-defined adhesive related properties.[1] Each of these can be manipulated to optimize performance in different types of applications and conditions.[2]
The cloth component is most commonly a cotton gauze textile, but the grade and quality can vary greatly.[3] Typical gauze specifications are in weaves of between *9 (commodity) to *4 or more (commercial/professional) yarns per square inch, with the cloth weights, wiping properties and overall cost varying accordingly. Gauze may be bleached and scoured (like medical quality) or unbleached quality that contains more contaminants. A standard size of the cotton gauze varieties is *8 in. × *6 in. in North America (other standards are found in other countries, such as *0 cm × *0 cm).[citation needed] Other textiles used in tack cloths are made from continuous filament (non-fibrous) synthetic yarns to eliminate linting or from various non-woven fabrics that can reduce cost. It is important to consider that the textile type, style, grade, quality and size are the greatest factors in tack cloth cost, and that these variables can differ greatly among tack cloth brands and product designs.