In 1942, Harry Coover Watched a “Failed” Plastic Stick to Everything: That Strange Reaction Established the Foundation for Super Glue

Harry Coover was doing his work in 1942 in a laboratory belonging to the Eastman Kodak Company. He was developing a kind of transparent plastic for the army's use during WWII. What he ended up developing, however, was not so straightforward.

This new material had nothing to do with plastic. Not only did it fail to act like one, but it adhered tenaciously to anything it came into contact with, including laboratory equipment. Needless to say, it was of no practical use and thus shelved.

To put it mildly, it appeared to be a failure.

The chemistry behind the “problem”

What Coover found was one of the many chemicals that were classified into a category called cyanoacrylates. Nowadays, it is common knowledge that this family of chemicals is characterized by fast bonding properties.

As noted in an article from PubMed Central, cyanoacrylates possess a rapid polymerization rate, which means they will immediately react with water vapor and produce bonds. This accounts for the reason why the substance would adhere strongly to different surfaces in Coover's lab.

Unfortunately, at the time, this trait made the substance difficult to manage. Generally, chemists seek stable substances that can easily be manipulated. Something that sticks to anything else is definitely not that. For that reason, the test was ignored.

Why the “failure” was hard to ignore

Though rejected for its disruptive qualities, something about it did set it apart. Not only was it sticky, but it was unusually and almost instantaneously adhesive. This kind of behavior cannot be ignored.

As discussed in one historical overview indexed by PubMed, the interest in cyanoacrylates came much later as a result of recognition of their adhesive qualities. While the chemistry remained unchanged, scientists' interpretation of it changed.

It can therefore be said that it took a while before scientists discovered how valuable this material really was.

From lab mistake to practical product

Coover would return to the topic much later, but the approach had changed significantly. This time, Coover took an interest in exploring its stickiness rather than trying to find a way to get rid of it.

It made all the difference. As PubMed Central articles reveal, derivatives of cyanoacrylate gained even more popularity in the late 1940s and became commonly used adhesives. Later, cyanoacrylates would turn into the product known today as Super Glue. It took many years and several developments for such evolution to take place. However, the basis for it was found much earlier, namely, in 1942.

Beyond households and into medicine

The significance of this discovery lies in the distance it traveled from its intended use. Cyanoacrylates were not only confined to their intended domestic application; they were also applied for various medical purposes, such as wound repair.

Several articles published on PubMed Central indicate that cyanoacrylates have been used in medical procedures. Some types are formulated to form bonds with human tissues, thus acting as sutures in some cases. Such a transformation underscores the nature of the discovery. A simple laboratory accident was transformed into an important scientific resource.

A lesson in seeing differently

It is not simply a tale of invention. This tale is one of observation. Numerous trials result in failure. They are often ignored. What makes this story unique is that its “failure” held a hidden meaning. Its properties were unexpected, yet consistent enough to hint at their potential value under certain conditions.

Cyanoacrylates are now considered to be a diverse class of adhesives, based on studies in PubMed Central. Such diversity may have been difficult to anticipate when considering a single failed product.

All this started here.

Why this story still matters

In terms of an American audience well-versed in innovation tales, Coover’s example serves as a practical lesson to be learned. All innovations do not begin with a definite objective or an already formulated idea. Some innovations begin with dissatisfaction. Some innovations begin with failure itself.

The trick lies in the follow-up.

Though Harry Coover’s experiment in 1942 did not yield success in the sense that he had envisioned, it uncovered a property that became the hallmark of a class of products. From a sticky mess in the laboratory was born an item of daily use and even a surgical instrument used worldwide.

And this is why the tale remains relevant. This is not simply about Super Glue. This is about finding value in failure where no one else sees any.