Monday, September 19, 2011

The truth about glue....






You've probably heard about horses "going to the glue factory".... I always told myself, nooooo, that can't be true.

Well, I am here to say it is, at least partially.

Now, I am no expert on glue, and there are a LOT of different glues out there... but let me tell you a little of what I have learned.

Many, many, many years ago people happened to have eaten an animal and left the bones, tendons, and cartilage to cook a little too long. Well, the cartilage and other proteins from the animal melted and happened to be really sticky.  Someone thought, "hey...this could be useful"- and then there was glue.

Now, there were other natural glues, saps from trees probably worked to stick things together- but it often took a long time for these to "set". Glue made from animal proteins set quickly, and they could be stored- all you had to do is re-heat it (think mankinds' first "hot glue") when needed. Animal glue sets quickly, and thus must stay hot, or be stored- this makes it not very user friendly for the "normal" person.  The glue made from animal parts are usually used in a more industrial setting. These glues are often used for cabinetry, woodworking, glassworking, and for binding books. 

According to Elmer's website, you don't have to fear there are horse remains in your child's creation. They state, No, Elmer's does not use animals or animal parts to make glue. Our products are made from synthetic materials and are not derived from processing horses, cows or any other animals". They also go on to say they do not use milk proteins, or any part of milk, only synthetic ingredients.

What about other glues?

"Super" glue (Cyanoacrylate glues)-  Synthetic polymers- no animals needed.

Hot Glue- Synthetic (save for possible coconut oil and soy) as far as I can tell. Hot glue is melted plastic (thermoplastic).

Rubber Cement- made from rubbers, usually Latex. No animals harmed from what I can tell from the information.

Glue sticks- Unsure. While Wikipedia offers the composition of the Pritt Stick, there are many brands out there. Most likely there is no animal proteins in them.

Any other glue that you can think of that you are wondering about? I'd be happy to check it out!

This is NOT a paid post, nor is it for any specific brand. Any brands that have been mentioned in this post have no current affiliation with Six in the Nest as of the day of this post. 

3 fantastic comments:

brightbird said...

Interesting. When I was a kid I always felt so bad for all the horses that ended up at the glue factory!

Working Mommy said...

my mom and i used to joke about that, but i knew it would have been just the hooves anyways...glad to know they aren't used for glue anymore! just dog food now, i think...

wm

The Real Mom said...

interesting & yet gross, too! ;)

 
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