How does Super Glue Work?
Super glue is a generic name generally applied to glue made from cyanoacrylates, acrylic resin chemicals discovered in the early 1940s. But it wasn’t until the late 1950s that these sticky, messy, tough-to-work-with chemicals were sold as “super glue”. Krazy Glue (actually Borden Elmer’s New Formula Instant Krazy Glue!), QuickTite and Super Glue are some commercial products sold nowadays made from cyanoacrylate. Super glues dry quickly (pretty strong within a few seconds, with full curing taking an hour or so) and form very strong bonds. The bonding power of super glue occurs when it comes into contact with water or water vapor. So while the glue normally comes as a liquid in a tube, it quickly hardens to a solid when it polymerizes. Once hardened, the glue is pretty much waterproof and difficult to remove. As noted below, care should be taken when working with super glue. Most people use super glue when working on things like craft projects or when trying to fix something that breaks.
