# uses for superglue **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964 "2006-11-27T17:46:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duvaduba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@duvaduba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duvaduba)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/1 "2006-11-27T17:46:25Z")
In cleaning up rental units of suspected “druggies”, there is often lots of superglue packages. What is the use for superglue besides for bonding things together? Also batteries packaging is abundant. What is the connection, if any, and what are they used for? Any clues? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/2 "2006-11-27T17:49:36Z")
Maybe they’re using it to develop [latent fingerprints](http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/feneric/cyanoacrylate.html). 😃 Ok, probably not. I have no idea why drug users, in particular, would need lots of superglue and batteries. Repairing paraphernalia, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/3 "2006-11-27T18:00:06Z")
Chemicals in some types of batteries, lithium I believe, are used to make Meth. Proud to say I don’t know anymore about it than that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/4 "2006-11-27T18:20:37Z")
Can you use superglue as an inhalent? [Yep](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffing) ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/5 "2006-11-27T21:44:22Z")
[QUOTE=Poysyn] Can you use superglue as an inhalent? [Yep](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffing) [/QUOTE] I see “adhesives” listed, namely rubber cement and plastic cement. The volatile aromatic solvents in those get you high, CA has no such aromatics. I don’t think [cyanoacrylate adhesive](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate) would be a very good inhalant, it gives off extremely unpleasant fumes that do not get you high. > [@](#): > > Cyanoacrylates give off vapor which is irritating to eyes, mucous membranes and respiratory system. ACGIH assign a Threshold Limit Value exposure limit of 0.2 parts per million. On rare occasions inhalation may cause asthma > [@](#): > > Studies have shown that methyl-2-cyanoacrylate (SuperGlue and KrazyGlue) degrade fairly rapidly upon contact with living tissue. This leads to the release of formaldehyde and a toxic response This stuff is nasty, the fumes will burn your eyes to the point you can’t see, choke you, and leave you with symptoms resembling a flu if you are exposed to it enough. I don’t know what the druggies are doing with it, but I’ve been around enough of it (purchase quarts at a time) to know they ain’t huffing it. ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/6 "2006-11-27T21:55:59Z")
I can’t find any suggestion about how they might get high from superglue so I was wondering if they used it for something else. Perhaps they are using it to fund their habit - but I can’t think how superglue is going to help you steal or break into a house. I can’t imagine how it might help you “prepare” any drugs for use. Have you got any more details about what you have seen that might help us figure it out? Are they intravenous drug users? Crack-pipe smokers? Tim ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/7 "2006-11-27T22:46:32Z")
perhaps they are accident-prone druggies? superglue is great for sealing cuts. it’s like liquid stitches. ---
**Author:** ![sumpitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@sumpitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sumpitan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/8 "2006-11-28T16:03:52Z")
Hope not to hijack, but as it seems cyanoacrylate has a bunch of nasty effects on the human body, is there any truth to the story that CA was first developed for quickly closing open wounds on battlefield ca. the Vietnam War? I know people who have gotten superglue in their eye, and they say that while it hurts like hell, it’s not really dangerous / cause permanent damage even to such a sensitive organ. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/9 "2006-11-28T17:48:39Z")
[QUOTE=sumpitan] Hope not to hijack, but as it seems cyanoacrylate has a bunch of nasty effects on the human body, is there any truth to the story that CA was first developed for quickly closing open wounds on battlefield ca. the Vietnam War? I know people who have gotten superglue in their eye, and they say that while it hurts like hell, it’s not really dangerous / cause permanent damage even to such a sensitive organ. [/QUOTE] From the cite I gave above > [@](#): > > Cyanoacrylate was discovered by Harry Coover at Eastman Kodak during World War II when searching for a way to make synthetic gun-sights (a substitute for spider silk). It did not solve this problem, since it stuck to all the apparatus used to handle it. It was first marketed to industry as well as consumers in February 1955 as a product called “Flash Glue” which is still available today. It was patented in 1956 and developed into Eastman 910 adhesive in 1958. > [@](#): > > In 1964, Eastman submitted an application to use cyanoacrylate glues to seal wounds to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon afterward Dr. Harry Coover’s glue did find use in Vietnam — reportedly in 1966, cyanoacrylates were tested on-site by a specially trained surgical team, with impressive results. In an interview with Dr. Coover by the Kingsport Times-News, Coover said that the compound demonstrated an excellent capacity to stop bleeding, and during the Vietnam War, he developed disposable cyanoacrylate sprays for use in the battlefield. ---
**Author:** ![intention](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e95f7d/32.png) [@intention](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/intention)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/10 "2006-11-29T12:07:04Z")
[QUOTE=Duke of Rat] … > [@](#): > > Studies have shown that methyl-2-cyanoacrylate (SuperGlue and KrazyGlue) degrade fairly rapidly upon contact with living tissue. This leads to the release of formaldehyde and a toxic response … [/QUOTE] That’s simply not true. I, and the other fishing guides I know, always use superglue to seal up “line cuts”, the thin cuts you get from braided fishing line when it slides over a finger. It doesn’t “degrade fairly rapidly”, it lasts a week or so, and there is no “toxic response”. It’s great stuff for that kind of cut, protects it from further harm, and seems to speed the healing. w. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/11 "2006-11-29T16:17:08Z")
[QUOTE=intention] That’s simply not true. I, and the other fishing guides I know, always use superglue to seal up “line cuts”, the thin cuts you get from braided fishing line when it slides over a finger. It doesn’t “degrade fairly rapidly”, it lasts a week or so, and there is no “toxic response”. It’s great stuff for that kind of cut, protects it from further harm, and seems to speed the healing. w. [/QUOTE] I don’t know what definition of “fairly rapidly” they used, but a week isn’t long for glue to last. The cite I gave above said that Super Glue is methyl-2-cyanoacrylate and surgical cyanoacrylate is 2-octyl cyanoacrylate or N-butyl-cyanoacrylate. So Super Glue works on a simple cut, and I’ve had it stuck to me more times than I can even try to count with no toxic reaction, but evidently there is some reason that surgical glue has a different formula. I still say you can’t get high off of it. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/12 "2006-11-29T16:51:06Z")
Sorry to go off on a tangent, but it IS Superglue related - can you use it to glue two rings together? Rings as in the kind you put on your fingers. Or would it hurt the “gold” or whatever metal the rings were made of? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/13 "2006-11-29T17:07:17Z")
[QUOTE=Duke of Rat] I don’t know what definition of “fairly rapidly” they used, but a week isn’t long for glue to last. The cite I gave above said that Super Glue is methyl-2-cyanoacrylate and surgical cyanoacrylate is 2-octyl cyanoacrylate or N-butyl-cyanoacrylate. So Super Glue works on a simple cut, and I’ve had it stuck to me more times than I can even try to count with no toxic reaction, but evidently there is some reason that surgical glue has a different formula. [/QUOTE] I’m reminded of a joke about a glue advertising gimmick where they glued a guy to the side of a skyscraper by his thumbs. “A year later, and his thumbs are still there!” :eek: 😃 From what I understand, surgical superglue is non-toxic (and also slightly-less-bondy) than regular superglue. It makes sense that for emergency medical purposes, long-lasting bondyness would be less important as long as it worked right when you needed it. For most medical uses, I’m sure they’d prefer it be non-toxic rather than just not-all-that-toxic. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/14 "2006-11-29T17:27:53Z")
Lithium batteries are indeed used to make meth. Neither crack smoking nor IV drug use requires super glue in any method I’m aware of, and it’s not used as an ingedient or equipment in meth production so far as I know. I’ll ask a DA or one of our friendly narc agents if there’s any illicit use for super glue next time I’m at the courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/15 "2006-11-29T17:33:03Z")
[QUOTE=Missy2U] Sorry to go off on a tangent, but it IS Superglue related - can you use it to glue two rings together? [/QUOTE] I don’t see why not, although there may be better methods, depending on what you need to do. The glue shouldn’t damage the metal itself, however. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/16 "2006-11-29T18:28:58Z")
[QUOTE=Missy2U] Sorry to go off on a tangent, but it IS Superglue related - can you use it to glue two rings together?..Or would it hurt the…metal the rings were made of? [/QUOTE] It doesn’t react chemically with the metal, so it won’t harm it. It basically grips the surface. Super glue has very high tensile strength, but relatively weak shear strength. There was a TV commercial years ago showing a fellow wearing a football helmet suspended from the crossbar of a goalpost. The claim was that one drop of super glue (helmet to goal post) was holding his weight, and that’s quite possible. But while you couldn’t easily break the bond by tugging downward on the helmet, a good sideways slap would have knocked it loose. With rings, it would be very difficult to pull them apart, but you could probably separate them by squeezing the assembly diagonally. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/17 "2006-11-29T18:32:42Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] Lithium batteries are indeed used to make meth. Neither crack smoking nor IV drug use requires super glue in any method I’m aware of, and it’s not used as an ingedient or equipment in meth production so far as I know. I’ll ask a DA or one of our friendly narc agents if there’s any illicit use for super glue next time I’m at the courthouse. [/QUOTE] Great, that’s all I need is for cyanoacrylate adhesive to be a controlled substance. You already can’t (easily) buy the pills that relieve the side effects brought on by using the glue since meth is made from them. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/18 "2006-11-29T18:45:48Z")
I keep superglue at school to give to kids to put on cuts. It keeps out the water and therefore is better than band-aids. I had one girl who put it on her popped blister for days while it healed underneath. She was a complete convert. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/19 "2006-11-29T19:37:58Z")
It could be that they’re using it to make improvised crackpipes. Lots of jurisdictions prohibit selling things that look like overt drug parenphenalia (because if they don’t have the stuff, then they can’t smoke it! :rolleyes: ), so they might be whipping up pipes on the fly to sell to people who don’t have their own. Or, even more frightening, they’re using it as a binding agent in the manufacture of crack. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964/20 "2006-11-29T21:45:27Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] It could be that they’re using it to make improvised crackpipes. Lots of jurisdictions prohibit selling things that look like overt drug parenphenalia (because if they don’t have the stuff, then they can’t smoke it! :rolleyes: ), so they might be whipping up pipes on the fly to sell to people who don’t have their own. Or, even more frightening, they’re using it as a binding agent in the manufacture of crack. [/QUOTE] The pipes thing is possible, but pipes are pretty easy to come by; run out to the parking lot and break off a car antenna and bam, you’ve got a pipe. You can make a pipe with pretty much any metal or glass tube and some Chore Boy - not a lot of moving parts. Crack is pretty easy to manufcature as well, just cocaine, baking soda, water, and heat. I asked a DA just a few minutes ago if he knew of a possible drug use for superglue and he came up empty, so he called the head agent of our local narcotics task force. He said other than huffing it, vaporizing for prints, or sticking your fingers together, he couldn’t think of any uses for it. Maybe your tenants are just building model airplnes while tweaking. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uses-for-superglue/381964.md?page=2)