A history of adhesive bonding

Abstract Humans have been making use of adhesives for hundreds of thousands of years. From early birch bark pitches and bitumen glues, there followed materials made from animal collagen. Adhesives were widely used and known of by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Animal glue became the dominant adhesive used for thousands of years, becoming a major international industry. During the first half of the 20th century, adhesives based on synthetic polymers were introduced, dramatically increasing the performance and application of adhesive bonding.