The researchers discuss the hyper glue formula. (Credit: University of British Columbia)

Researchers hope to make everything from protective clothing to medical implants stronger and more corrosion resistant thanks to a newly developed hyper glue formula. The team of chemists and composite materials researchers discovered a broadly applicable method of bonding plastics and synthetic fibers at the molecular level in a procedure called cross-linking. The cross-linking takes effect when the adhesive is exposed to heat or long-wave UV light making strong connections that are both impact-resistant and corrosion-resistant. Even with a minimal amount of cross linking, the materials are tightly bonded.

The adhesive is particularly effective in high-density polyethylene. According to the researchers, commercially available glues didn’t work at all on these materials, making the discovery an impressive foundation for a wide range of important uses.

By using this cross-linking technology, they say they are better able to strongly fuse together different layers of fabric types to create the next generation of clothing for extreme environments. At the same time, the cross linker provides additional material strength to the fabric itself.

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