What is the story behind Silly Putty?
What is the story behind Silly Putty?
When the Japanese invasion of Asia threatened America’s rubber supply during World War II, chemists at General Electric began looking for a synthetic substitute. James Wright stumbled upon an odd concoction: a stretchy material that withstood decay and bounced 25 percent higher than rubber.
When was Silly Putty invented?
1943
Silly Putty was discovered in 1943 by James Wright who mixed boric acid and silicone oil together. It was introduced to the public in 1950 by Peter Hodgson. Crayola acquired the exclusive manufacturing rights to Silly Putty in 1977.
How did Silly Putty get its name?
The government didn’t want his “nutty putty,” but a few years later, businessman Peter Hodgson noticed what a hit the stuff was at a party. He renamed it “Silly Putty” and marketed it as a toy, packaging it in colorful plastic eggs because he put it out around Easter time.
Who first invented Silly Putty?
James Wright
Silly Putty/Inventors
Can you eat Silly Putty?
All Crayola and Silly Putty products have been evaluated by an independent toxicologist and found to contain no known toxic substances in sufficient quantities to be harmful to the human body, even if ingested or inhaled.
Why is Silly Putty in an egg?
SILLY PUTTY WAS PACKED IN PLASTIC EGGS BECAUSE IT WAS EASTER. Hodgson decided to re-name the goo “Silly Putty” and sell it on his own. But it wasn’t just whimsy that drove Hodgson to package Silly Putty in plastic eggs—it was also timing.
Can you eat putty?
Does Silly Putty melt?
Silly Putty will dissolve when in contact with an alcohol; after the alcohol evaporates, the material will not exhibit its original properties. If Silly Putty is submerged in warm or hot water, it will become softer and thus “melt” much faster.
Is Silly Putty toxic to humans?
Why does Silly Putty come in an egg?
Was Silly Putty a mistake?
In 1944, a General Electric engineer named James Wright added boric acid to silicone oil and ended up inventing what became Silly Putty. However, before it was Silly Putty, it was nothing. Though it was elastic and bounced, it wasn’t sufficient as a rubber substitute and was put aside.
Does Silly Putty burn?
Putty is flammable. The flame is intensly bright white, although it burns slowly. The residual ash left over from the burning putty crumbles easily. Putty can be microwaved.
Is it true that Silly Putty was made by accident?
SILLY PUTTY WAS INVENTED BY ACCIDENT. Several individuals claim to have invented Silly Putty, but no matter who’s claiming the title of inventor, the underlying story’s the same: It was definitely created by accident . During World War II, the government asked chemists to search for a synthetic rubber substitute.
What was the original purpose of Silly Putty?
Silly Putty (originally called nutty putty , and also known as Potty Putty) is a silicone plastic, marketed today as a toy for children, but originally created as an accident during the course of research into potential rubber substitutes for use by the United States during World War II.
What else is Silly Putty good for?
Silly Putty is also a fairly good adhesive. When newspaper ink was petroleum based, Silly Putty could be used to transfer newspaper images to other surfaces , providing amusement by distorting the transferred image afterwards. Newer papers with soy-based inks are more resistant to this process.
Why was the Silly Putty was invented?
Silly Putty was an accidental invention created during attempts to make a synthetic rubber for the United States military in World War II, as the Japanese had taken control of rubber supplies.
