The History of Super Glue

05.28.08 |

The History of Super Glue

I’m sure many of you have already wondered where super glue came
from. In the past there have been urban legends that described
super glue as an ‘accidental solution’ to battle wounds during
World War II, but the actual evolution is slightly different.

In 1942 the original cyanoacrylates (chemical name) were
discovered while searching for materials that could make clear
plastic gun sights for the war. While searching for these
materials, scientists came upon a formulation that stuck to
everything it came into contact with. These cyanoacrylates were
rapidly rejected by American researchers for the sole reason
that they stuck to everything they came in contact with. It
wasn’t until 9 years later that these cyanoacrylates were
rediscovered by researchers from Eastman Kodak. Fred Joyner and
Harry Coover recognized the true potential for these
cyanoacrylates and it was first sold as a commercial product in
1958. Since then Super Glue has evolved into several other great
products, and continues to grow even to this day.

Later in the evolution of Super Glue life, a logo of a hanging
car was created. This came about when a radio station hears
about super glues and decided to put them to the test at a local
junk yard. Most of the major brands on the market participated
in the competition to hold a hanging car from a crane. Super
Glue Corporation’s product turned out to be the best and later
the logo was created.