Glue sticks are solid and hard

adhesive Adhesive, also known as glue, cement, mucilage, or paste, is any non-metallic substance applied to one or both surfaces of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. The use of adhesives offers certain advant ...

s in twist or push-up tubes. Users can apply glue by holding the open tube to keep their fingers clean and rubbing the exposed stick against a surface.

Applications

Most glue sticks are designed to glue paper and

card stock Card stock, also called cover stock and pasteboard, is paper that is thicker and more durable than normal writing and printing paper, but thinner and more flexible than other forms of paperboard. Card stock is often used for business cards, ...

together, and are not as strong as some liquid-based variants. They can be used for craft and design, office use and at school. There are several varieties: permanent, washable, acid-free, non-toxic, solvent-free, and dyed (e.g. to see where the glue is being applied).

Brands

In 1969, the German company

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. It is active in both the consumer and industrial sectors. Founded in 1876, the DAX company is organi ...

invented the glue stick after studying the "twist-up ease" and convenience of

lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates back to ...

applicators. The product was released under the Pritt Stick brand. By 1971 the Pritt Stick was being sold in 38 countries, by 2001 in 121. The first solvent-free, multipurpose glue stick that could be used for other materials (e.g. wood, glass and some plastics) was the "PowerPritt", which was put on the market in 2003. There is also a "Pritt X", launched in 2010. In the UK, the name "Pritt Stick" is often used as a generic term for any glue stick. Glue sticks are made under many brands and each may have different features to it. Various brands, such as Scotch, Elmer's,

UHU UHU GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of adhesive products, based in Bühl (Baden), Bühl, Germany. Its company slogan is ''"glues anything, anytime."''. The company logo is yellow with black lettering and in many markets it includes the Ge ...

, Kores,

Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/Proto-Renaissance period. Giot ...

, UFO, Snopake, and

Bostik Bostik is a manufacturer and distributor of adhesives and sealants for the construction, industrial and consumer markets. With annual sales of €2.1 billion, the company employs 6,000 people and has a presence in more than 40 countries. Bo ...

U-Stick make glue sticks. Generic brands like M&G also manufacture glue sticks, utilising the twist action.

Sizes

Glue sticks can come in many sizes, the most common ones are 8g, 25g, 36g, and 43g.

Material

Known materials to be used for glue sticks are PVA or PVP. As of the year 2000, the Henkel company no longer uses PVP in Pritt, but makes use of natural starch.Potato power: how waste spuds are keeping the nation’s wallpaper in place
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Composition

Glue stick compositions are often proprietary and vary by manufacturer and type. The 3M product contains the following ingredients: MSDS: 3M Brand Re-stickable Glue Stick
/ref> The reportable composition of a Pritt Stick is as follows: Other brands use, e''.g.'',

polyvinylpyrrolidone Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), also commonly called polyvidone or povidone, is a water-soluble polymer made from the monomer ''N''-vinylpyrrolidone. PVP is available in a range of molecular weights and related viscosities, and can be selected accor ...

(PVP) as the glue substance.

References

{{Reflist Adhesives Brand name materials Henkel brands German inventions Products introduced in 1969