Gorilla Tape is the duct tape people reach for when regular duct tape isn't enough, and that means it ends up in places regular duct tape never should: on exhaust pipes, around heaters, and inside engine bays. It is tough, but tough is not the same as fire-resistant.
Gorilla Tape is not fire-resistant and will burn. Its backing is a cloth and polyethylene laminate, and its adhesive is a rubber-based compound; both are combustible. Gorilla Tape is rated for use between about -40°F and 200°F, and above that the adhesive softens and the backing begins to melt before it eventually chars and burns. It will not ignite on its own at normal temperatures, but it is not a material to use anywhere near open flame or hot surfaces.
What Gorilla Tape Is Made Of
- Backing: a woven cloth scrim laminated to a polyethylene film, which is what gives it the weather resistance. Polyethylene melts around 230 to 260°F and burns.
- Adhesive: a thick natural-rubber-based adhesive, roughly double the amount on standard duct tape. Rubber adhesives soften with heat and burn once they reach a few hundred degrees.
Gorilla makes several tapes. The standard black Gorilla Tape, Gorilla Tape Tough & Wide, and the clear repair tape all behave roughly the same. None of them carries a flame-resistance rating.
Where Gorilla Tape Fails With Heat
| Temperature | What happens |
|---|---|
| Up to ~200°F | Holds as designed |
| 200–250°F | Adhesive softens, tape slides and peels |
| 250–350°F | Polyethylene layer melts and deforms |
| Above ~600°F or open flame | Backing and adhesive char and burn, with heavy smoke |
Don't Use It Here
- On exhaust pipes, mufflers, or anything under the hood that gets hot
- On furnace ducts or flue pipes (use foil HVAC tape)
- Near stovetops, space heaters, or fireplaces
- As an electrical repair; it isn't rated as electrical tape and heat from a bad connection will melt it
What to Use Instead for Heat
Aluminum foil HVAC tape handles ducts and moderate heat. Fiberglass or silicone exhaust wrap handles engine and exhaust heat. For electrical, use tape rated to UL 510. For anything that sees open flame, tape is the wrong tool.
Related reading: is duct tape flammable, is electrical tape heat resistant, and is Scotch tape flammable.
