UNDER CONSTRUCTION: rewrite CA part
Medical precautions: RTFM = read the instruction manual and data sheets. Wear gloves where applicable and ventilate!
Always de-grease your surfaces at least with detergent, better use brake cleaner.
Consider roughening your surface with sand paper.
10-second fix or cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive.
tldr;(super glue)
Super glue is commonly based on cyanoacrylate, reacting with moisture, which polymerizes the glue.
Technically it cannot be melted – heating the glue results in destruction of the polymer.
You could use an iron with blotting paper to try removing glue even out of cloth.
These glues have a softening point around ~125–165 °C.
CA reacts with moisture, so washing it off is impossible.
Try combining CA with baking soda for a hard and strong bond.
Super glue, known chemically as a cyanoacrylate adhesive, is a fast-acting, strong-bonding adhesive widely used in household, industrial, medical and aerospace contexts.
Its active ingredient is typically an alkyl cyanoacrylate monomer—most commonly:
These monomers polymerize rapidly in the presence of even trace amounts of moisture, such as water vapor in the air or on surfaces. This reaction forms strong thermosetting polymer chains that bond materials like:
The curing reaction is exothermic, and in some cases—especially on materials rich in hydroxyl groups like cotton or wool—can result in a violent reaction that generates enough heat to cause burns or even spontaneous ignition.
This occurs due to the extremely fast polymerization triggered by the hydroxyl groups in natural fibers. There are even accelerator sprays that force curing to occur instantly.
Cyanoacrylate adhesives do not melt under heat. Instead, when exposed to high temperatures, they decompose:
These are not softening or melting points in the traditional sense; cured cyanoacrylate does not melt but chemically breaks down; heating the polymer causes depolymerization. When this happens, irritating and potentially toxic fumes are released, including:
These byproducts affect the eyes, skin, and respiratory system, so any thermal removal should be done with proper ventilation or protection.
Despite its strength, super glue can be removed under the right conditions:
However, due caution must be used when heating cured glue due to the risk of harmful fume release.
Super glue is best suited for non-porous surfaces and Rigid joints.
The cured adhesive is brittle, making it less suitable for load-bearing joints, applications exposed to mechanical vibration / flexing. Do not put under thermal cycling.
The limitation of flexibility and shock resistance have been improved by rubber-reinforced formulations.
A lesser-known aspect of cyanoacrylate adhesives is their use in medical and veterinary fields.
Originally developed during World War II for potential battlefield wound closure, later formulations such as butyl and octyl cyanoacrylates proved to be safe and flexible enough for direct skin application
Today, medical-grade adhesives (e.g., *Dermabond®*) are used for closing surgical incisions and treating skin wounds. These versions are Biodegradable, Less toxic and designed to degrade safely inside the body.
Super glue also plays a role in forensic science:
Fun fact: Super glue was famously used on NASA space missions to make emergency equipment repairs in microgravity.
Combining cyanoacrylate glue with baking soda (*sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃*) results in a very fast polymerization reaction - ideal for DIY. To fix cracks in plastic, first roughen smooth surfaces by sanding to improve adhesion.
Also read about baking soda vs baking powder in kitchen context
It also creates a hard filler compound, often used for:
Bonus: The resulting cured mixture is:
It is why it’s popular in DIY with model builders and even woodworkers. Even try cutting threads carefully after having drilled a hole.
Baking soda and baking powder are not the same!
Baking powder is a mixture of ingredients and behaves very differently. It contains:
Why it doesn’t work:
Solvent cement is technically not an adhesive in the traditional sense — it does not “stick” two surfaces with a separate binder. Instead, it chemically softens/dissolves the polymer surface, and the pieces fuse as the solvent evaporates. However, this applies only to thermoplastics that are soluble in the solvent used.
A famous example of such is Revell Plastic Glue, but it can be had cheaper and for different plastic types too.
Be cautious, most fumes of solvents are nasty for your lungs. All solvents listed are flammable and toxic; use in ventilated areas only with PPE (personal protective equipment: gloves, goggles, respirator).
Hardware stores in many countries have MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone). You can also use lacquer thinner (varies with composition). Acetone will dissolve styrene and acrylic (like Plexiglas) too.
Better not use chloroform, methylene chloride, toluene: They work well but are toxic and/or highly volatile, so stick with safer solvents like MEK, acetone, or THF.
Read this https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/gluing-styrene-because-not-everybody-knows-12199669 and/or watch this on YT.
Note: Solvent cement is ineffective on thermosets (e.g. epoxy, polyurethane, phenolics etc). Compatibility generally follows polymer solubility parameters: the solvent must have a similar Hildebrand or Hansen solubility parameter to the target plastic.
UV glue is a type of adhesive that cures when exposed to ultraviolet light. It remains liquid until activated by UV radiation, allowing precise positioning and clean application. Typically composed of acrylate or methacrylate monomers and oligomers, along with photoinitiators. When exposed to UV light, the photoinitiators generate free radicals that rapidly polymerize the monomers into a solid plastic-like material forming a a strong, clear bond within seconds. UV glue is ideal for glass, plastics, and electronics, and is commonly used in optical and jewelry work due to its transparency and fast curing.
Hot glue is often used in hot glue guns with different temperatures. There are all kinds of different sticks with different temps for different materials.
(EVA thermoplastic)
- consider ski repair sticks as hot glue
- you can even burn thermoplastics with a lighter (e.g. zip ties) and let use the melted plastic: be aware that it gets brittle
Two-component epoxy consists of a resin and a hardener that must be mixed before use. The chemical reaction between the two forms a very strong, durable bond resistant to heat, chemicals, and moisture. Epoxies are versatile and suitable for bonding metal, wood, plastic, and ceramics. Depending on the formulation, curing time can range from minutes to hours, allowing both quick fixes and structural applications.
Epoxy resin is often based on bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether and its hardener is commonly a polyamine or anhydride. Mixing triggers a chemical reaction—usually a step-growth polymerization—forming a strong, crosslinked thermoset polymer.
Epoxy is toxic in its uncured (liquid) state. Once fully cured, it is generally inert and stable, but not all epoxies are food-safe. Most epoxies start releasing toxic fumes when heated to temperatures around 120°C to 150°C (248°F to 302°F). Softening starts often already around 65°C (149°F). Significant deterioration around 120°C (248°F) affecting the adhesive bond and structural integrity.
#TODO: missing
Fun Facts: