How does iron oxide accelerate cyanoacrylate glue curing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter bland
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Accelerate
AI Thread Summary
A discussion on superglue accelerants highlights the effectiveness of a mixture of bicarbonate and graphite, with some users noting that iron oxide derived from burning steel wool may outperform this combination. The conversation delves into the chemical properties of these additives, particularly the alkaline nature of bicarbonate, which is believed to facilitate the acceleration process. There is curiosity about the role of iron oxide, questioning whether its effectiveness stems from the extra oxygen or the iron itself. It is noted that hydroxyl ions from atmospheric moisture initiate the glue's solidification, and both bicarbonate and iron oxide can absorb water, potentially speeding up the curing process. A reference to a Veritasium video on this topic is also mentioned, suggesting further exploration of the subject.
bland
Messages
149
Reaction score
44
I was perusing superglue accelerants like bi carb and graphic or a mix of the two, and other additives, and it appears that a mix of bi carb and graphite works the best. However I eventually came across a single vid that used iron oxide made from burning steel wool, as the additive and it appeared to be superior to bi carb and carbon.

I have heard that it is the alkaline nature of bi carb that acts as the accelerant but now I am curious as to the chemical reason that iron oxide also works. Is it just the extra oxygen, or does the iron itself have something to do with it.
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
Iron(III) oxide will react with acids, so by definition it is a (weak) base, it just won't dissolve in water in the Fe2O3 form. Also, post the videos you are referring to. This way we can avoid guess work and incorrect interpretations.
 
bland said:
I have heard that it is the alkaline nature of bi carb that acts as the accelerant but now I am curious as to the chemical reason that iron oxide also works. Is it just the extra oxygen, or does the iron itself have something to do with it.
Hydroxyl ions from the water in the air is the initiator of the chain reaction to solidify the glue.
Bicarbonate, and iron oxide, should absorb water from the air. The greater abundance of initiators would make for a quicker glue set.

it so happens that I had just viewed a video by Veritasium earlier today on this type of glue.
 

Thread 'Solubility of MgSO47H2O in water'

It seems like a simple enough question: what is the solubility of epsom salt in water at 20°C? A graph or table showing how it varies with temperature would be a bonus. But upon searching the internet I have been unable to determine this with confidence. Wikipedia gives the value of 113g/100ml. But other sources disagree and I can't find a definitive source for the information. I even asked chatgpt but it couldn't be sure either. I thought, naively, that this would be easy to look up without...
View full post »

Thread 'Why does having 8 valence electrons make an element inert?'

I was introduced to the Octet Rule recently and make me wonder, why does 8 valence electrons or a full p orbital always make an element inert? What is so special with a full p orbital? Like take Calcium for an example, its outer orbital is filled but its only the s orbital thats filled so its still reactive not so much as the Alkaline metals but still pretty reactive. Can someone explain it to me? Thanks!!
View full post »

Similar threads

Advanced iron oxide production questions
Replies
4
Views
2K
Best Way To Produce Large Amounts of Iron(III) Oxide (Rust)
Replies
1
Views
34K
Chemically regenerating my auto's catalytic converter?
Replies
19
Views
7K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top