The Development History of the Tape Industry at Home and Abroad

In 1958, Eastman Kodak Company in the United States first successfully developed the A-cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA) Eastman 910, which was mainly composed of A-cyanoacrylate methyl ester, and introduced it to the market. Due to its many unique properties, it attracted the attention of advanced industrial countries around the world.

Japan, Germany, Britain, Russia, and China successively conducted research and production of CA after the 1960s, promoting the rapid development of CA worldwide. CA is a single component, solvent-free, low viscosity colorless transparent liquid that solidifies at room temperature catalyzed by trace amounts of water on the surface of the material. It has high adhesive strength to both metallic and non-metallic materials and can be manually or mechanically applied, making it very convenient to use. With the advancement of synthesis technology for cyanoacrylate monomers, the continuous improvement of monomer purity and the advancement of CA modification technology have made it an ideal adhesive with excellent comprehensive performance, which has been widely used in various economic fields such as industry, agriculture, and civil use. Meanwhile, as a new type of medical polymer material, its application research in surgical treatment is flourishing. Universality and high performance are the main reasons for the sustained rapid growth of the CA market.

In China, the advancement of CA monomer synthesis technology and production scale have continuously reduced production costs and significantly lowered sales prices; The modified new product continues to broaden its application range, making it an important variety in the long-lasting engineering adhesive industry.  

1. Development status of CA in foreign countries

1.1 Process and Products Since Ardis A.E of B.F. Goodrich in 1949, four synthetic process routes for cyanoacrylate monomers have been developed around the world. Up to now, industrial production mainly adopts the method of addition condensation of cyanoacetate and formaldehyde under alkaline catalyst, and then the generated oligomers are cracked and refined under vacuum. In the initial stage, due to low product purity and formulation technology issues, CA products have a short shelf life and many technical performance defects.

For decades, researchers have been dedicated to the study of CA modification technology, which has significantly improved the water resistance, heat resistance, flexibility, and other properties of CA. Through formula combinations, CA has evolved from a single low viscosity (2mPa. S) variety to a series of low, medium, and high viscosity products with different technical properties and good storage stability. New types of cyanoacrylate butyl ester, octyl ester, and alkoxyalkyl ester adhesives that have no whitening, low odor, and can be used for surgical medical purposes have also been introduced to the market. H.W. COOVER from Loctite Corporation in the United States has provided a comprehensive introduction to the technological progress of CA.  

1.2 Market and Demand Abroad, after the 1980s, the advancement of CA production technology and continuous improvement of performance promoted the expansion of application fields and rapid market growth. From 1982 to 1986, the market consumption in the United States increased from 450 tons to 900 tons, and the production of CA in Japan increased from 388 tons in 1980 to 840 tons in 1989, with an average annual growth rate of 16%. By 1990, the total production of CA worldwide reached 3000 tons, becoming an important variety in engineering adhesives. After 1990, in advanced industrial countries such as the United States and Japan, CA entered a mature growth period.