1. Tessa Chemistry Final Project
SILLY PUTTY
Tessa Chemistry Final Project

2. Silly putty was accidentally created during the second World War.
In 1940, James Wright was asked to create a cheap substitute for rubber after Japan had invaded the rubber producing countries and cut the United States off. When trying to make the substitute at the General Electric lab, Wright accidentally dropped boric acid into silicone oil, which ended up making silly putty. After the production, Peter Hodgson bought the rights and started selling silly putty in his toy store. They decided to package the putty in eggs as Easter was coming up and they needed the attraction. In fact, silly putty was originally targeted for adults.

3. What is silly putty made of
What is silly putty made of? What is the function of some chemicals used?
Silly putty is made from a lot of different chemicals, with the main one being polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which makes up 60% of the chemical components. Some other chemicals include dimethylsiloxane, silica (crystalline quartz), Thixatrol ST (castor oil derivative, decamethyl cyclopentasiloxane, glycerine, and titanium dioxide.
PDMS is a type of silicone and a major contributor to the strange properties of silly putty. Silly putty is classified as a viscoelastic solid. This means that it is able of being a liquid, but under certain instances, it can also act like an elastic. The long and flexible chains of the silly putty getting tangled together is the cause of the viscoelasticity. As well as being viscoelastic, silly putty is an elastomer, which means when it is pulled apart, it can return to its original shape.
Boric acid reacts with PDMS chains, because they end in OH groups, to create temporary boron- mediated linkages between different polymer strands. The crosslinks that this creates is what helps hold silly putty together. When you are playing with silly putty and you pull it apart slowly, you are giving these chains time to break apart and form at different points, which keeps the silly putty intact. On the contrary, when you pull silly putty apart very fast, the crosslinks do not have enough time to reform and therefore, the silly putty will separate.
In addition to all of the chemicals needed to make silly putty, colouring agents are added to make an assortment of fun colours.

4. Comparison of Brands
While conducting my research, I discovered that the main brand that makes silly putty is Crayola. I tried to find other brands to compare it to but the task proved itself difficult.

5. How is silly putty made?
Manufacturing silly putty is a relatively easy task that can be completed in three steps. First, the ingredients are placed in a sigma blade mixer and blended together for 30 minutes. Once it is all mixed, the putty is removed from the mixer and placed on a cart, where it is transported to the cutting operation.
At first, the putty is cut by hand into pieces approximately the size of a basketball. Then it is put into a machine, which was originally used to pull taffy apart by the candy industry, which separates the silly putty into golf ball size pieces. When they come out of the machine, they land on a conveyor belt which is headed towards the packing area.
Workers put these pieces into egg-shaped containers. From there, the eggs head towards a blister carding machine. This machine takes the plastic eggs and places them on a single blister card. Then, a different machine places the plastic tray onto the blister card and seals it shut.
Before silly putty can be distributed and sold, it must be tested and approved. A safety evaluation is administrated to make sure there are no harmful or toxic materials. In addition, it is also checked for colour, bounce, stretch, and other performance characteristics.

6. Social Justice/Environmental Issues
Silly putty does not have any social justices or environmental issues. When producing silly putty, they tend to have a small amount of waste. This waste is recycled back into the mixing process where it will be used again. Furthermore, since silly putty is meant for children, the product is made to be non-toxic.
The only part of silly putty and the process of making it that could be seen as an environmental issue would be the distribution. Silly putty would be distributed by trucks, which emit pollution. However, this is not seen as a huge issue surrounding silly putty as most products are distributed by vehicle anyways.

7. How does silly putty relate to my life?
This relates to my life because I love silly putty and it is a good distraction when you play with it. Other than the pure enjoyment of playing with it, silly putty does not have a large impact on my life.

8. Interesting Facts!
It was used to help secure tools during some of the Apollo space missions
It can also be used as therapy for those with injured or disabled hands
It is flammable and when lit, it emits a white flame

9. Sources
The Chemistry of Silly Putty. (2015, November 10). Retrieved April 07, 2017, from
The Chemistry of Silly Putty. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2017, from
What is Silly Putty? (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2017, from html
How Silly Putty Works. (2011, July 25). Retrieved April 07, 2017, from

10. Sources Continued
Helmenstine, P.A. (n.d.). All You Need To Know About Silly Putty. Retrieved April 07, 2017, from
15 Facts About Silly Putty. (2015, September 15). Retrieved April 07, 2017, from
Silly Putty. Retrieved April 07, 2017, from
Silly Putty. (n.d.). Retrieved April 07, 2017, from Putty.html