Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have invented a reusable adhesive from waste polymers that is tougher than commercial glues, works underwater as well as in dry environments, and bonds a variety of materials, including wood, glass, metal, paper and polymers.

Inspired by the way mussels stick stubbornly to surfaces, the innovative adhesive contains reversible chemical crosslinkers that allow the hardened glue to soften, detach and be reused, unlike current glues, which set permanently after one use.

Today’s projects typically require different glues for different material surfaces—white glue for grade-school art projects, polyvinyl acetates for bookbinding, polyurethanes for shoemaking, silicones for sealing windows and affixing electronic parts, and industrial epoxies for joining aircraft and automobile components.