What Are the Ingredients in Wood Glue?

Wood glue is an essential tool for craft and home improvement projects. This type of glue is made to bond well with wood. All types of glue are made with chemicals and bases to make them sticky, but each type has a unique formulation. Some of the main chemical components found in all glue are polymers because these ingredients create a sticky feel so the glue adheres to objects better.

Homologues are chemicals added to wood glue to increase bond strength. This ingredient is derived from animal tissue to make gelatin.

Isomers are compounds added to wood glue to bind the ingredients together.

Urethane prepolymers provide more stability to wood glue by binding all of the ingredients together. This chemical binds well, adding to the adhesive power of wood glue.

Diphenylmethane-diisocyanate is another chemical found in wood glue. This ingredient may sting and it is toxic if ingested. Wood glue is not as safe as white glue, so keep it out your child's reach.

Water is a basic ingredient added to wood glue to provide wetness. This helps to give the product a more liquid consistency.

Formaldehyde is a preservative found in wood glue and other types of glue. This chemical may give the glue a strong odor depending on how the product was made. Different types of wood glue will contain different levels of formaldehyde.

Polyvinyl acetate emulsion is a polymer found in wood glue. This helps to make the glue stick to other surfaces.

Vinyl alcohol/vinyl acetate copolymer is another type of polymer found in wood glue and other types of adhesive products. This just adds to the stickiness of the glue.

Aluminum chloride hexahydrate is another chemical found in wood glue products. This chemical helps to create a paste so the glue is thick.

N-Methylolacrylamide is another chemical that adds to the thickness of the glue to create a paste.

Beeswax is another ingredient found in some types of wood glue. Beeswax is yellow in color and also adds more thickness to the glue.