He was born in Newark, Del., and received a degree in chemistry from Hobart College in New York before getting a master's degree and Ph.D., from Cornell.
He worked his way up to vice president of the chemical division for development for Eastman Kodak.
Coover and the team of chemists he worked with became prolific patent holders, achieving more than 460.
The work included polymers, organophosphate chemistry, the gasification of coal and of course, cyanoacrylate.
Coover also had a part in early television history, appearing with Garry Moore for "I've got a Secret.
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Moore, the show's host, and Coover were hung in the air on bars that were stuck to metal supports with a single drop of his glue during a live television broadcast.