Octyl cyanoacrylate (OCA), a

cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylates are a family of strong fast-acting adhesives with industrial, medical, and household uses. They are derived from ethyl cyanoacrylate and related esters. The cyanoacrylate group in the monomer rapidly polymerizes in the presence ...

ester, is an

octyl In organic chemistry, an alkyl group is an alkane missing one hydrogen. The term ''alkyl'' is intentionally unspecific to include many possible substitutions. An acyclic alkyl has the general formula of . A cycloalkyl is derived from a cycloalk ...

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ar ...

of 2-cyano-

2-propenoic acid Acrylic acid (IUPAC: propenoic acid) is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCOOH. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected directly to a carboxylic acid terminus. This colorless liquid has a ...

. It is a clear colorless liquid with a sharp, irritating odor. Its chief use is as the main component of medical cyanoacrylate glues. In medical and veterinary applications, OCA, ''n''-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) and

isobutyl cyanoacrylate Isobutyl cyanoacrylate is an isomer of butyl cyanoacrylate. It is used in medical procedures either to close incisions and lacerations without the use of sutures, or as an adjunct to strengthen the suturing. This use is possible because it is a ...

(ICA) are commonly used. They provide rapid wound closure, are

bacteriostatic A bacteriostatic agent or bacteriostat, abbreviated Bstatic, is a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing, while not necessarily killing them otherwise. Depending on their application, bacteriostatic antibiotics, disinfect ...

, and their use is usually painless.

Butyl In organic chemistry, butyl is a four- carbon alkyl radical or substituent group with general chemical formula , derived from either of the two isomers (''n''-butane and isobutane) of butane. The isomer ''n''-butane can connect in two ways, gi ...

esters provide a stronger bond, but the glue is rigid. The octyl ester, while providing weaker bond, is more flexible. Blends of OCA and n-BCA are available which offer both flexibility and a strong bond. It

polymerizes In polymer chemistry, polymerization (American English), or polymerisation (British English), is a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks. There are many for ...

rapidly in presence of moisture. Heating to higher temperatures causes

pyrolysis The pyrolysis (or devolatilization) process is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures, often in an inert atmosphere. It involves a change of chemical composition. The word is coined from the Greek-derived elements ''py ...

and

depolymerization Depolymerization (or depolymerisation) is the process of converting a polymer into a monomer or a mixture of monomers. This process is driven by an increase in entropy. Ceiling temperature The tendency of polymers to depolymerize is indicated by ...

of the cured glue, producing gaseous products strongly irritating to the lungs and eyes.

References

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References

See also