The Chemical Bonding
Have you ever wondered what makes superglue so super?
Well, it's no other then its enhanced strength and lightning quick speed. But just how does it manage the strength and speed at which it bonds? The answer is a process called polymerization. Cyanoacrylate glues are actually long polymer chains composed of several small repeating molecules called monomers. The monomers will bind together through double bonds, which are perfect candidates for bonding due to them being the most reactive part of the monomer. The double bonds in cyanoacrylate glues will react with any form of anion. This allows for a unique feature to super glue that is, moisture alone can start polymerization. Therefore, the most common trigger for superglue is hydroxyl ions (OH¯) in water, which is convenient since almost any object you might wish to glue will have at least some traces of water on its surface. Air also has water molecules in the form of humidity. The cyanoacrylate molecules will form polymer chains with the water molecules until the glue becomes dry and the process is complete. This reaction taking place is considered to be exothermic. Okay, but why does it burn when super glue gets on your skin then? The process of polymerization produces a certain amount of heat. Therefore, when super glue makes contact with your skin, if a large amount of heat is produced then it will cause a burning sensation. In some instances the heat is strong enough to cause actual burns. |