What was the first adhesive made from?
Over 5,000 years ago, adhesives were made from natural materials!
We use adhesives on a daily basis. An example that may be familiar to you is postal stamps that are affixed to mail. These stamps are made using an adhesive that sticks when moistened. Meanwhile, structural adhesives―high-strength adhesives that can be used on the bodies of cars―have begun to be used as a means of improving fuel efficiency. In this way, such useful adhesives have also undergone various transformations in conjunction with our lifestyles. So, what was the first adhesive made from?
The first adhesive dates back over 5,000 years, to Egypt’s Pyramid Age.
Adhesives have supported our lives throughout the ages. It was discovered that they were already in use as far back as 5,000 years ago, during Egypt’s Pyramid Age. Back then, they used adhesives made from natural materials. These include adhesives made from animal skins and bones, as well as glue made from plants.
Let's see if there are any other adhesives made from nature.
Are they edible?―Adhesives made from nature
Even today, many adhesives are made from natural resources.
Hide glue
Hide glue is a bonding material extracted by boiling animal skins and bones, which is used for murals and paintings. The main component is collagen, and it is mainly used for industrial purposes.
Wax
Also used to make candles, wax is a raw material for adhesives that is generally melted before use. Some waxes are made from natural ingredients, while others are made from petroleum.
Lacquer
Lacquer was used to affix arrowheads to shafts and attach gold leaf to Buddhist statues. It is mainly made from tree sap secreted from lacquer trees, and today, it is commonly used as a paint for dishes and musical instruments.
Rice glue
The starch in rice and flour develops can become sticky. In the past, it was used to affix shoji (paper screen) and umbrellas. Even now, you might encounter an occasion at home where you need to use a grain of rice from the rice cooker to use as glue when you don't have adhesives on hand.
Plaster
In the past, plaster was used to bond together stone walls, tombstones, and tiled roofs. The main material is slaked lime, a strong alkaline substance. Even today, it is paid attention as a nonflammable material for buildings.
What are modern adhesives made from?
We have learned that some natural adhesives are still used today as adhesives, while others are commonly used for other applications. Then, what are the other adhesives around us today made from?
They are made from chemically synthesized resins. Most products now known as adhesives are chemically synthesized. The main components are silicone epoxy and other substances that are made to exhibit properties that are tailored to each application.
Let's use adhesives made from biomass materials!
Adhesives made by ThreeBond are chemically synthesized, but we are now also developing and selling adhesives made with biomass materials.
The ThreeBond 1539 Series one-component, low temperature fast curing elastic adhesive uses castor oil, a biomass material, as a raw material. Castor oil is a plant oil obtained by squeezing the seeds of castor oil plant, and has also been used in cosmetics in recent years.
Biomass materials are also attracting attention from the standpoint of achieving carbon neutrality, which refers to a state in which emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which cause global warming, are subtracted by the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by afforestation and forests to achieve net zero. In addition to adhesives, plastic products that are made with biomass materials are also emerging. Biomass plastics are covered in more details in other articles, so please check them out.