Cyanoacrylates are more commonly known as superglues. When you need a super-strong bond, there’s nothing that quite beats superglue! Cyanoacrylates are a group of quick bonding acrylic resins that can bond anything from plastic, to metal, to your favourite rocks and minerals. They use the humidity in the atmosphere to trigger a reaction that turns the liquid glue to a solid plastic mesh which holds surfaces together very tightly. The time this takes to happen depends on the viscosity (fluid thickness) of the glue and the thickness of the seam applied.

Superglues can be a little contentious in fossil preparation as they are usually considered irreversible (unless you have debonder). You might have read ‘Do not use superglue on fossils! It is permanent!”. This can be a great thing, or a terrible thing...

Most of the literature (online and off) refers to a scientific approach to fossil preparation, performed in museums and laboratories where, for the sake of conservation, a permanent fix is not desirable and only the least invasive, most easily reversible materials should be used. Thus, 'conservation-grade' materials like Paraloid B-72 are used.

However, in the world of commercial, amateur and hobby fossil prep and private collections, there are fewer ‘rules’ so to speak. The style of prep is very different, often heavily focused upon aesthetic value as well as interest in prehistoric lifeforms. There is nothing wrong with this – fossil preparation in the commercial and amateur communities has become a true artform – just head over to Instagram to see what incredible things people can achieve.

In the world of do-it-yourself fossil preparation, especially on fossils that will never end up in a museum (most of them don’t want the 100 Promicroceras ammonites you found last winter!), you might choose to use superglue – because it is permanent, not in spite of this! It is incredibly strong, waterproof, versatile and brilliant for so many jobs.

When preparing fossils and minerals, it is worth using quality cyanoacrylates. Anything from the pound shop or dollar store will have a variety of additives and will have a formulation that will bloom, turn brittle over time and will likely yellow. Some of the additives may also actively damage your fossil or mineral. For a long-lasting, strong and stable bond, explore our range of specialist cyanoacrylates. Our cyanoacrylates also retain their viscosity levels for longer, and having a longer shelf life in the bottle. 

A very low viscosity cyanoacrylate is perfectly suited to consolidating and stabilising fossils. It can be used for ‘wicking’, which is the process by which it uses capillary action to pull itself into really small spaces. This is great for deep penetration into cracks and pores. It can also be used to drop gently onto thin, flaky material during the process of fossil preparation to hold it in place whilst using tools such as air pens which vibrate and have an air exhaust.

It is ideal for use when joining extremely closely fitting parts and smooth, even surfaces (some minerals and crystals; as well as rocks that undergo conchoidal fracture when broken like chert or flint have extremely smooth surfaces). It can also be used as a full consolidant, soaking into a slab of rock to stabilise it (it can stabilise shales, chalks, sandstones and other porous rocks).

Although there are numerous different approaches on how to prevent pyrite decay, some people use low viscosity cyanoacrylate to seal a fossil from the atmosphere via pore fill to prevent further oxidation and therefore pyrite decay. Low viscosity glues dry extremely quickly, in a matter of seconds. 

This what most people think of when they think ‘superglue’! It’s a great all-rounder with industrial-strength rock adhesion. It is used for structural bonding where joins need to be made. It can be used on smooth surfaces, as well as more porous and absorbent matrices. It is capable of filling small gaps and pores along the join. It can be used to penetrate narrow gaps or bond closely fitted parts. For most people, it is usually the most reached for and utilised! It sets almost instantly. Just hold the rock tightly together for a few seconds and set down or clamp to cure.

A high viscosity cyanoacrylate is particularly helpful when you want a little bit more working time to align pieces and want to better control where the glue goes (lower viscosities spread very easily). High viscosity cyanoacrylate is rapid setting but has a slightly slower set time than the medium and low viscosities, which allows you a few more seconds to align the joint. This glue will fill wider cracks, holes and pores where necessary, and is very suitable for joining porous matrices as it is less likely to soak into them and will spread more evenly on top of the surface for bonding.

Our cyanoacrylate gel comes in a tube for controlled application. It is very thick for precise application and will not run or drip even when gluing a vertical surface. It also dries more slowly than the others in the range of cyanoacrylates and so gives more time to align and set all of the pieces together correctly (approx. 1 minute). The bond can then be prised apart if needs be for about 2-3 minutes and full set is approximately 10 minutes depending upon the depth of joint and thickness of glue. Full cure in 24 hours.

Gel is extremely useful for gap and void filling, and can be used in conjunction with other viscosities to achieve this (e.g. first use low viscosity for its wicking properties, followed by the gel for bulk). Highly suited to long-lasting repairs and for bonding exceptionally porous surfaces (more difficult to bond with lower viscosities). The initial set time depends on the thickness of the glue used. The tapered applicator on our tube allows you to apply just the right amount in just the right place.