Why does the glue in the no more nails tube not stick to the inside of the tube? It sticks to everything else!

That’s a very interesting question!





Glues or adhesives tend to work in one of three basic ways:





Some work by “drying” out (in fact the solvent evaporates, concentrating the chemicals).


Some work by reacting chemically with the air (oxidation) to change the chemicals into adhesives.


Then there are other types you may have used which need mixing in two parts (each part alone won’t set).


I am guessing that you are asking about the first two types. When they’re inside the tube the solvent can’t evaporate, nor can the air get to the chemicals, so until they come out, they won’t stick!


I hope that helps,





KevinWhy does the glue in the no more nails tube not stick to the inside of the tube? It sticks to everything else!
There's a waxy coating on the inside, and air can't get in to dry it out. If you leave the cap off, it will dry out.





Also, it contains a chemical called cyanoacrylate which reacts with water in the air to harden. When manufactured, there is no water in the tube and so the super glue doesn't harden. As soon as the glue is exposed to the air, however, it reacts with any moisture and hardens, in the same way that epoxy resins react with their hardners to harden.





If you want the glue to harden quicker you should breathe on it, as the moisture in your breath promotes the hardening process. And it's also why super glue sticks to your hands so well, as there's a plentiful supply of water on your skin.Why does the glue in the no more nails tube not stick to the inside of the tube? It sticks to everything else!
its because any type of glue such as super glue will not become sticky until the moment that it comes into contact with the air, this causes some kind of chemical reaction within the glue which makes it stick to everything.


hope i helped =]
there is a substance coating the inside of the tube that the glue stuff does not stick too. but since the other objects dont have this special coating, the glue sticks to it.
Like all glues it needs air to allow the chemical reaction to take place. There is no air in the tube so nothing happens. Leave the cap off and it hardens quite easily
What a good question!!


I've never thought about that, but it's a good point!


I don't know the answer, but I'm going to keep an eye on this question, so that I can see all of the answers.
hehe... Reminds me of an old George Carlin gig...


';How do they get Teflon to stick to a pan, When nothing sticks to Teflon???';





I go with the oxygen answer. Makes sense to me.
perhaps it's exothermic or it harden with the air on it which it's not exposed to in the tube.
Super glue is the same way. Last week I got it all over my kitchen sink, all over my hands and not on the object I was try to glue back together.
The glue is not activated until it is exposed to the air.
in the tube it's still wet ! if you leave the cap open it will dry up !
It needs air to start the chemical reaction that bonds it to surfaces.
and if teflon is meant to be non stick how do they stick it to the saucepans
it is not exposed to oxygen.