How to Make Silly Putty

By: ericskiff Silly Putty , originally called nutty putty , but also known as Potty Putty , is a silicone plastic, marketed today as a toy for kids. The metiral originally created as an accident during the course of research into potential rubber substitutes for use by the United States during World War II. During World War II, the USA was looking for a synthetic rubber metirial because of the problems getting natural rubber from the Far East during such period. In researching this problem, James Wright of General Electric reacted boric acid with silicone oil and produced a gooey material – though it bounced it was definitly not a substitute for rubber. No uses for it were found until the 1950s when its potential as a toy was actualized. It was after its success as a toy that other uses were found for it. Silly Putty has found applications in medical and scientific simulations, and has also been used in stress-reduction and physical therapy. In the home it can be used to pick up dirt, lint and pet hair, and it was even used by Apollo astronauts to secure tools in zero-gravity.