Electrical tapes can be subdivided into two categories: OEM applications and electrician's tape.Electrical Tapes
Electrician's tape usually has a stretchable film backing. It generally uses a plasticized vinyl or polyethylene film backing. The tapes are conformable and are required to meet nonflammable specifications. "Black friction tape" was a very early cloth backed tape used for this application. The adhesive was very soft and the tape often split as it was unwound.Cloth backed tapes offer more protection against physical damage because of their bulk.