Every year when we get to polymers, my students look forward to making the
putty like material.
To prepare putty like material you will need the following:
Elmer's white glue
20 Mule Team Borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), the kind used in washing
machines to help whitening clothes
Popsicle sticks for stirring
paper cups
Plastic zip lock baggies to store the putty in after it is made
Food coloring (optional)
Procedure:
Prepare 4% borax solution by adding 4 parts borax to 96 parts water. You may
use one level tablespoon borax for each cup of water.
Measure about 25 ml of white glue into a paper cup. Add about 20 ml water
and stir well. If desired add 2-3 drops of food coloring. Stir well.
Add about 5 ml of borax solution to the glue and stir well. Rubbery material
will start forming that will stick to the stirrer. The material will be
sticky for about a minute or two. Remove the goop from the cup and slide it
off the stirrer with your hand.
Wash the goop under running water for a few seconds while kneading it to
remove the excess borax and then dry with a towel.
If the material sticks to the towel, polymerisation is incomplete. When you
try again just add a little more borax soultion.
Test the material by stretching it, pulling it hard, rolling it into a ball
and dropping it onto a hard surface and watching it bounce. Place it on a
smooth surface and watch it turn into a liquid. Knead it and turn it into
putty again.
Store the putty in a plastic bag.
Caution: The putty will stick to clothes and furniture and cause stains.