6.2 Instant Bonding

6.2.1 Cyanoacrylates

Cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesives were first created in 1958 by Eastman Kodak, but were not fully commercialised until the 1970s. The delay in commercialisation was due to the difficulty in manufacturing and packaging such reactive materials in a way that ensured that the product remained liquid. Eastman Kodak licenced the technology to LOCTITE^® in the 1970s, and with some development work on stability to improve upon the technology, a product with commercially viable shelf life was released.

The cure reaction associated with these adhesives is so rapid that they are referred to as ‘instant adhesives’ or ‘superglue’. When pressed into a thin bond line between two surfaces, CAs cure rapidly to form rigid thermoplastics with excellent adhesion to most substrates.