Science of superglue
Find out what makes superglue so super strong
We all know that superglue is really sticky, but did you know that just 6.5 square centimetres of superglue can hold over a ton! In fact, superglue is so robust we can even use it to heal wounds like fractured skulls. But what gives it these superhero powers?
Superglue relies on the presence of water molecules, which is why it doesn’t stick to the inside of the bottle. It is made from cyanoacrylate, a type of acrylic resin. Cyanoacrylate contains its own hardening blend of chemicals, but a weak acid is also added to the superglue mix that acts as an inhibitor to keep the molecules separated. This is why superglue is a liquid inside the tube.
When exposed to water vapour molecules in the air, the hydroxyl ions cause the acid to dissolve, triggering a reaction. This reaction causes the molecules to rapidly heat, fuse together and quickly cool, hardening between the two surfaces and bonding them together.