Has the sticky note adhesive formula changed?

In the modern world of multitasking, sticky notes are like memos in my memory. I am not alone. It is estimated that since the product was first launched, more than 1 trillion personal notes have been sold worldwide.

Small sticky papers that make sticky adhesives ubiquitous were discovered, and the process of adhesion and re-adhesion was discovered 35 years ago. So, it seems surprising that there was no such sticky note in the entire United States until 1980.

There are many other chemical effects when taking notes. For example, notes need to be coated on one side to keep the adhesive adhered to the paper. As 3M explained in detail on the Post-it website, the company wants to ensure that coatings and adhesives do not make banknotes unrecyclable.

The 3M customer service department told me that they now use three different adhesives on various Post-It products. One is the original adhesive, unless otherwise specified, the original adhesive will be used. The Post-It Notes in the MSDS only talks about "adhesive", inhalation will not cause health effects. 3M confirmed that Post-it products do not contain PFAS chemicals. Then there is the adhesive for super sticky notes. Non-toxic again.

Since the introduction of Sticky Notes, even in some unexpected circles, Sticky Notes has gained considerable attention. Paola Antonelli, the curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, said in Newsweek last year: "Post-it notes are smart, beautiful and cheap. This is a good example of design."

Although you may find sticky notes in the MoMA showroom, don't try to use them in the books of the MoMA library. They were banned there and several other libraries. This is because archivists find that the adhesive leaves a small amount of residue, which can accumulate dirt over time and may damage books and other historical documents.

In 1988, Susan Lee-Bechtold, a chemist with the Department of Records Protection of the National Archives and Records Administration, was asked to investigate reports that some notes may be harmful to humans. Lee-Bechtold said: "We found that people put them on the original record, which is related to us."

Her experiments have shown that charcoal dust sticks to paper that used to stick to sticky notes. It doesn't matter whether the notes remain on paper for a few weeks or just one second. Lee-Bechtold also concluded that although the acrylic copolymer will not fade the paper over time, it does have the potential to leave "long-term stickiness", which may eventually be due to pasting in folders, other records or The record is damaged by the polyester sleeve. Protect delicate files.

Lee-Bechtold recommends not to use these annotations on permanent records. Using sticky notes to mark important passages in rare books and journals may not be a good idea. However, for the millions of us who are constantly troubled by paper in offices and homes, sticky notes have proven to be an essential asset. They also remind people that sticking to a good idea will lead to success.