Glue and How to Use it

We all need to use glue at some point – whether it’s because we broke mom’s favorite cup, or we decided to make her a greeting card. Or maybe to stick an important page from a textbook that we accidentally tore. Whatever the reason, we all know that glue can hold and keep something together.

Sometimes, the glue marks show a little, but the items stay whole. That’s clear! But have you ever wondered why the glue doesn’t stick to the packaging? That’s probably something you’ve never thought about before, right?

But that’s the big secret of this interesting material. Since it can bond everything from paper to porcelain, and from fabric to leather, how does it not stick to the tube it’s in and harden inside? Now, we’ll reveal the mystery!

Glue Has a Big Secret...

You probably guessed it’s not due to some magic spell! Glue is not made by wizards but by scientists! Like most things, it comes down to science.

Common white glue, which we often use, consists of various chemicals called polymers. These polymers are long chains that are sticky or elastic. Glue manufacturers need to find the right combination of sticky and stretchy polymers to make the best glue.

White glue also contains water. The water acts as a solvent that keeps the glue liquid until you need it. When you apply glue to a piece of paper, the water solvent is exposed to air. The water eventually evaporates (changing from liquid to gas).

As the water evaporates, the glue dries and hardens. Only the sticky polymers remain, holding things together. This process is called mechanical adhesion. That’s why we often need to wait a bit for the glue to set.

Now, you learned why the glue doesn’t dry out in the bottle... When it’s in there, there’s not enough air, so it doesn’t evaporate. If you’ve ever left glue open for a while, you’ve probably noticed that it starts to dry out. That’s because... exactly... air gets in, and the water evaporates.

What about super glue? You might have noticed that super glue dries faster in its container than white glue. Super glue works differently from white glue.

Instead of polymers, super glue contains a chemical called cyanoacrylate. This chemical bonds things together when it reacts with water vapor in the air.

This process is called chemical adhesion. Water vapor is always in the air, no matter how dry the air seems. To prevent super glue from drying out, its container must be tightly sealed to keep water vapor from getting in and reacting with the glue.

So, whether it’s white glue or super glue, water is the key. With white glue, you need the bottle to keep the water from evaporating. On the other hand, super glue containers prevent water from getting in to stop the chemical reaction that would harden the glue.

The Amazing World of Glue

One of the areas where modern chemistry has worked wonders is the creation of new glues that have flooded the market like a cornucopia, especially in recent years.

If you stand for a while at the glue section in any major store, you risk getting overwhelmed if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. Without prior preparation, you won’t be able to navigate the multitude of glues and their applications just by reading the small print on the packaging.

At EM ART, we offer glues for virtually all commonly used materials. We have glues with incredible bonding strength, resistance to heat and extreme cold, moisture, and chemicals, glues that bond in a "second," and more.

Modern glues have revolutionized assembly and construction practices. In many cases, traditional methods of mechanically fastening parts with screws, nails, or rivets have been replaced by glues. It’s much easier, quicker, and cleaner to glue two parts together, such as a towel rack in the bathroom, instead of drilling through the tiles in the wall, inserting a plug, and screwing in a fastener.

With the right glue, you can repair a cracked cast iron engine block, a delicate Chinese porcelain cup, glue instead of nailing baseboards for flooring, and so on. Special adhesive tapes can instantly solve a problem if your garden hose has a hole, and with two-component putty, which resembles modeling clay, you can not only glue but also rebuild broken pieces of various materials, including stone, concrete, wood,, etc.

With heat-activated adhesive patches and tapes, you can repair clothes and hems. Glues are even used to assemble the skins of airplanes instead of rivets. Modern glue has more than “1001 applications!”

Glue is a fascinating material with many properties and uses. We will do our best to introduce you to the vast intriguing world of glue!

Preparing items for gluing.

Proper surface preparation is crucial for quality bonding, regardless of the material and glue type. The bonded surfaces must be cleaned of rust, paint residue, dust, and other contaminants, and in most cases dried and degreased. For degreasing, use organic solvents like acetone, and alcohol.

Degreased surfaces should not be touched, as skin oils can affect them. The strength of the bond is directly proportional to the contact area between the two items being glued. Therefore, wherever possible, measures should be taken to increase this area – for example, when butt-joining, cut the ends at an angle (e.g., 45°) rather than straight.

When gluing objects to smooth surfaces, roughen the surface with coarse sandpaper. This improves the glue’s adhesion to the item, creating a stronger bond. The temperature of the glue and items also affects the bond strength and speed.

Do not work at temperatures lower than those specified on the glue packaging, as chemical processes will slow down, and the bond won’t be as strong. The direction of the load on the glued joint is also important for its strength.

Did You Know?

The durability of the glued joint also depends on the direction of the force applied to the bonded items. The bond is strongest when the pulling force is perpendicular to the glued surfaces.

A good scenario is when the pulling forces are parallel to the surfaces. In both cases, the load is distributed evenly across the entire area. The least favorable situation is when the pulling force is applied to the edge of one of the two items, trying to lift and unstick it.

In this case, the entire stress is concentrated on a narrow strip, and the glue bond easily breaks. To reduce the likelihood of unbinding under such stress, the edge is reinforced, rounded, bent, or folded around the lower part, etc.

Types of Glues for Creative Projects from EM ART

• Waterproof wood glue
• Styrofoam glue
• Glass glue
• Nail glue
• Craft glue
• Mosaic glue
• UV light-cured glue
• One-component universal water-based glue LORCA
• and more on our website!

Explore our selections chosen especially for you. We at EM ART made sure to offer a rich range of glues for our customers, so anyone can make their creative ideas a reality!

Prices

Product prices can be viewed at EM ART stores. We offer products at promotional prices, with discounts for bulk purchases, and you can take advantage of up to 70% off when buying wholesale from our stores.

Why Choose EM ART?

Find your favorite creative materials and more! Shop online on EM ART anytime - 24/7. Get your order delivered to your home or a courier office—whichever you prefer.

Our online store is designed for easy shopping, with quick search, product filters, and online support to help with your order. We make shopping at EM ART simple and enjoyable.

Explore a wide range of beads, craft materials, natural stones, decoupage, hobby tools, and more.