why was super glue invented?

Answer 1

To provide a quick fix for cuts

Answer 2

Super glue deserves its name -- a single drop can permanently join your thumb to your index finger faster than you can say "Whoops," and a 1-square-inch bond can hold more than a ton. So how does this remarkable substance work? The answer lies in its main ingredient, cyanoacrylate (C5H5NO2, for you chemistry buffs).

Cyanoacrylate is an acrylic resin that cures (forms its strongest bond) almost instantly. The only trigger it requires is the hydroxyl ions in water, which is convenient since virtually any object you might wish to glue will have at least trace amounts of water on its surface.

White glues, such as Elmer's, bond by solvent evaporation. The solvent in Elmer's all-purpose school glue is water. When the water evaporates, the polyvinylacetate latex that has spread into a material's crevices forms a flexible bond. Super glue, on the other hand, undergoes a process called anionic polymerization. Cyanoacrylate molecules start linking up when they come into contact with water, and they whip around in chains to form a durable plastic mesh. The glue thickens and hardens until the thrashing molecular strands can no longer move.

If you think cyanoacrylate's ability to repair broken knick-knacks is super, wait until you hear about its other tricks. Super-glue fuming is sometimes used in criminal investigations to detect latent fingerprints. It works like this:

The object to be checked for prints is placed in a heated, airtight container.
Cyanoacrylate is introduced; it evaporates and is circulated throughout the container by fans.
The gaseous glue reacts with materials that may have been left behind in fingerprints (such as amino acids and glucose) and makes them visible.
Another interesting application is the use of cyanoacrylate to close wounds in place of stitches. Researchers found that by changing the type of alcohol in super glue, from ethyl or methyl alcohol to butyl or octyl, the compound becomes less toxic to tissue. With further research, the practice may become more widespread and could eventually replace the need for stitching up lacerations.
By the way, if you happen to find yourself in a super-sticky situation, a little bit of acetone nail-polish remover helps to unglue fingers.

Here are some interesting links:

This-to-That Glue Guide
Super Glue for Wound Closure
ScienceDaily: Seafood Into "Super Glue"
How are Crayons and markers made?

Answer 3

the so called super glue was originally invented as a way of closing small wounds and surgical incisions however due to the nature of marketing the evo-stick company who were contacted by the doctor in ? decided that as it was so strong and would glue anything to anything to sell it on the open market, while they struggled to get it certified as a medical adhesive, the substance is now certified for use to close small wounds and is in common use in British hospitals

Answer 4

The same reason normal glue was invented I suppose... To stick things together!!

Answer 5

Umm, Cara, that's not actually funny, but it's Friday so it's a Mulligan. I am a big Super Glue fan-it fascinated me as a kid (and was great for pranks like gluing down quarters to the sidewalk). I use it on my digits also-just be sure not to let it run onto / under your nail. Also try to just get it on the cut as it does dry skin and can make your cut worse. As a sick aside, I remember a case of a guy robbing a convenience store and super gluing the clerks lips together and palms to the counter. YIKES! (but better than shooting him I guess......) **Thanks Matatdor 68 for a great link!

Answer 6

Cyanoacrylate was discovered by Harry Coover at Eastman Kodak during World War II when searching for a way to make synthetic gun-sights (a substitute for spider silk).

It did not solve this problem, since it stuck to all the apparatus used to handle it. It was first marketed to industry as well as consumers in February 1955 as a product called "Flash Glue" which is still available today

Answer 7

It was invented to glue the tiles on the space ships going into space. We have many wonderful innovations from the space program.

Answer 8

Cyanoacrylate is the generic name. Cyanoacrylate was discovered by Harry Coover at Eastman Kodak during World War II when searching for a way to make synthetic gun-sights (a substitute for spider silk). It did not solve this problem, since it stuck to all the apparatus used to handle it.

Answer 9

There is an urban myth, propagated by films like 'Dog Soldiers', that it was invented as a field surgical aid, and alternative to stitches, and it was for emergency suturing in combat.
But there is no evidence for this, it was invented and patented as a glue, simple as that!

Answer 10

super glue was invented during the vietnam war, by the americans, this was so they could seal minor wounds faster and so cutting down on surgery.

Answer 11

It was invented during Veitnam to close wounds in the feild, and many still use it for that today, works great. I cut my arm off and used 2 tubes of it and it stopped all the bleeding.