Incredible reversible superglue strong enough to hold the weight of a man is created by scientists

REVERSIBLE superglue has been invented by scientists who were inspired by sticky snail mucus. The researchers have demonstrated how the super strong product can hold the weight of an average male with only two postage stamp sized squares of the substance. The new glue has overcome problems that have stumped scientists for decades as glue […]

REVERSIBLE superglue has been invented by scientists who were inspired by sticky snail mucus.

The researchers have demonstrated how the super strong product can hold the weight of an average male with only two postage stamp sized squares of the substance.

The new glue has overcome problems that have stumped scientists for decades as glue has either been weak and reversible or strong and irreversible for such a long time that a substance being strong and reversible seemed almost impossible.

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania realised that mollusc creatures like snails seem to have the answer as they can securely attach themselves to surfaces even in the harshest conditions and then release themselves when they need to move.

Snails can change the mucus that they naturally produce from a solid to a liquid very quickly and that’s why they are the perfect example.

The snail inspired superglue was created from a hydrogel that contains a lot of liquid water, which has a runny wet state and a solid dry state.

Younghee Lee

Lead researcher Shu Yang said: “It’s like those childhood toys that you throw on the wall and they stick. That’s because they’re very soft.

“Imagine a plastic sheet on a wall; it comes off easily. But squishy things will conform to the cavities.”

To soften the new superglue all you need to do is add water so that it becomes hydrated again.

The researchers have even demonstrated how the glue can be applied and then gently removed from butterfly wings without harming any wing tissue.

Unlike regular superglue, the adhesive doesn’t come in a tube but is coated on small square stickers, which have tiny holes in them that allow water in and out.

The substance dries naturally in the air and will dry quicker if its heated.

Unfortunately, the nature of the glue means it can only be used in dry environments but Yang and her team are now looking for new strong substances that can be softened without water but with things like electrical pulses or specific chemicals.

Yang said: “With a lot of things, you don’t want to use water. Water takes time to diffuse. In the future, we want to find the right material that can switch the property like that.”

Reversible superglue would make life much easier for people prone to DIY mistakes and for medical staff who have to get people out of sticky superglue situations on a regular basis.

In other weird invention news, plans to ‘hack Earth’s weather’ with a giant aerosol spray could start World War 3, panicked scientists warn.

Uber Eats will start delivering McDonalds by drone in the US from next year.

And, scientists in China have created a ‘mind-reading chip’ called Brain Talker that ‘sends your thoughts to a computer’.

Would you find reversible superglue useful? Let us know in the comments!

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