Superglue AKA Cyanoacrylate

Superglue, Krazy glue, Permabond and Black Max are all names for the same adhesive. A  super strong glue whose main ingredient, Cyanoacrylate, causes it to form almost unbreakable bonds. In fact, the pure coumpound with one square inch bond can lift one ton! Cyanoacrylate makes an ideal glue because it drys quickly and creates a strong bond. According to an article written in 1998 Cyanoacrylate has a yearly market  of 325 million dollars.

History In 1942, researchers were trying to create a clear plastic gunsight and came up with Cyanoacrylate. They rejected it for the obvious reason that it stuck to everything. Eastman Kodak researchers rediscovered the compound in 1951. After accidently gluing two prisms together and discovering that they weren't coming apart, the reasearchers realized the potential market for such a compound.

Chemistry of Cyanoacrylate (C5H5NO2)    Unlike some glues, Cyanoacrylate is not air drying. It requires Hydroxl ions which are found in water to set off the bonding process. The reason Cyanoacrylate sticks to everything is because a thin layer of water is found practically everywhere.        One molecule of Cyanoacrylate before it sets looks like the picture on the right, where R is a variable. When setting, the molecules come together to form strings, as seen below.

CN             / CH2=C             \             COOR

CN          CN           CN                l              l               l -CH2C -(CH2C)- (CH2C)- (CH2C)- etc.                l              l               l               COOR    COOR     COOR

Brownian motion The random motion of particles within a liquid or gas. Demonstrated by Dr Robert Brown.

These strings twist and turn about through Brownian motion. They move less and less until finally they form a solid bond.      The setting process is also call ionic polymerization because cyanoacrylate is a monomer that links together to form a polynomer.