A History of Adhesives

By Sam D Goddard

The usage of adhesives goes back a long time, many historians would vouch for the presence of the sticky substance capable of holding things firmly in place way back into the past. The world has been shown repeatedly how in those early days of life, many potteries and broken vessels were glued to each other with the help of something sticky. Many people think ancient adhesives were made from tree saps however, early sap was actually animal glue made purely out of animal by products like bone, hair and even teeth. Archaeologists have retrieved many clay pots and artifacts repaired with this kind of glue or sap.

Some historians claim that the earliest known traces of the usage of adhesive were found in and around the caves of the Dead Sea going back to 8000 years ago. These adhesives were made out of animal hides. Archaeologists stumbled upon a 6,000-year-old ceramic work which shows clear evidence of adhesive use. This Babylonian artifact which dates from as early as 4000 BC proves that the process of gluing and fixing was commonplace in the Babylonian culture. Many historic evidences also point to the statues recovered from the Babylonian ruins where damaged body parts used to be casually fixed with the help of adhesives. In the era of the Babylonians it was something called tar that was used in order to fix things or statues.

Egyptians made glue pretty much out of the same ingredients as the Babylonians but the application differed. They used the glue more in cases of adhering something to a base or a surface. They also used glue to attach or adhere anything on ivory or paper. History proves that during the period of 1500-1000 BC glue or adhesives had become a really important means of putting things together.

Greeks and Romans have also made judicious use of adhesives. Masters at marquetry and veneering, the Greeks and Romans commonly used glue and adhesives in all their works. Many damaged and broken parts of the temples and the ivory statues have been put together with the help of adhesives. Many early carvings and handiworks have revealed that glue was used in order to put things in place. It is from them that the concept of modifying raw adhesive arrived. Animal glue now got refined and modified into egg white glues and others. Adhesives were also prepared from other raw materials like blood, bones and milk. Early mentions of the existence and usage of glue can be found in special works of literature dating from around 200 B.C.

There has been evidence to show the use of adhesive all around the globe. From the Mongolians of Asia who depended heavily on the use of adhesives to make their bows and arrows and to mend their weapons to Native Americans who used adhesives to attach stone chips with their weapons while going on hunting trips. In Medieval Europe people used adhesives to stick golden leaves on to paper or manuscripts. Medieval men have used adhesives heavily in all spheres of their daily lives.

Between 1500 and 1700 A.D. adhesives were mostly used in the manufacturing or building of any kind of furniture. The first ever glue factory was created in Holland in the beginning of the 1700s. The United States produced many adhesives factories in the year 1900. The most important fact about previously manufactured adhesives was that they were all made from natural products and raw materials. The coming together of synthetic polymer in the 1900s finally led to this dip in business for the natural adhesives and the 1920s and 1930s saw many new plastic and synthetically produced adhesives being churned out from the factories thanks to technological advancements in adhesive making, ever since there has been no change in the scenario.

Synthetic adhesives are here to stay for a long time. Raw animal glue soon got metamorphosed into a well-refined adhesive made out of other alternative ingredients such as fish starch and casein. Modern times have given adhesives a complete facelift. Natural adhesives are well on their way out as the market has been completely taken over by synthetic or artificial adhesives. The refinement in adhesives has not only come from the ingredients but also in terms of resistance and toughness. Nowadays, the market offers a wide variety of adhesives to all consumers. Some are natural, some synthetic, some for every-day use and some for specialist projects. All these adhesives are applied for different purposes.

The application of adhesives has however not altered at all over the ages. People still use it for fastening any material to some surface or for repairing the broken ends or pieces in a jiffy. Adhesives are a way of life now and will remain so for years to come. It is not possible to maintain a piece of art or sculpture intact for centuries. Many paintings of the Egyptian pharaohs and kings have been kept in place until now thanks to ancient raw adhesive. On the other hand, museums and archives nowadays preserve their amazing collections of art with the help of glue or adhesives for future generations to enjoy.

Sam D Goddard has worked with the construction chemicals industry since 2005 bringing many chemicals, solvents and industrial adhesives to market.Get more information regarding adhesives.