Origin of 502 Adhesive?

Origin of 502 Adhesive?？

1.The first explanation is that this adhesive was the result of 501 failed experiments, and success was achieved on the 502nd attempt, hence it is called 502.

2.The second explanation is that the laboratory room number where this adhesive was developed was 502, hence the name.

3.The third explanation is based on the types of functional groups in the adhesive composition. For example, methyl is 1, so it is named 501; ethyl is 2, so it is named 502.

Myth Buster

In the 1940s, the team of scientist Harry Coover at the Kodak company in the United States accidentally synthesized cyanoacrylate ester while developing transparent plastics for making gun sights. Although Coover discovered that this material had strong adhesive properties, he did not pay much attention to it. In 1951, Coover's team was asked to develop high-strength, high-temperature-resistant acrylic ester polymers for jet aircraft canopy. Due to an accident, Coover realized that he had synthesized a powerful adhesive, which became the precursor of the 502 adhesive.

Chinese chemist Ge Zengbei, after numerous experiments, successfully synthesized China's own instant adhesive in 1964. At that time, Ge Zengbei was researching this adhesive in a laboratory room numbered 502, so it was named KH502, with KH representing the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Later, 502 became synonymous with instant adhesive.

Subsequently, through modifications, various types of instant adhesive products with different performances were developed.