At the atomic level? Are there bondings going on there that are stronger than normal ones? And why does acetone dissolve them?
It's at the level of molecules. The idea is to build long chains of connected molecules (polymers) from the basic building blocks (monomers) in solution. These effectively form microscopic plastic fibers. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! No, as you see in the diagram the stronger double and triple bonds are not links in the chain. In fact you've probably noticed that Superglue is less durable than some other adhesives. Prior glues had relied on keeping the constituent molecules separated by immersing them in a solvent. You would then have to wait for the solvent to evaporate before the polymerization could complete. Here the process proceeds without this intermediate step. It only takes a little exposure to the moisture in the air to get it started. In any case the strength of the bond is not necessarily the key to material strength since it relies on the quantity and integrity of the chains formed. That's the nature of a solvent. It mimics the properties of the constituent molecules, inserting itself into the chains and thereby breaking them. You can get an idea of how this works by looking into the way water dissolves salt crystals.
