How slime really works

Polyvinyl alcohol is a polymer. The word polymer comes from Greek ‘poly’ (meaning ‘many’) and ‘merus’ (meaning ‘parts’). Polymers are made up of many small molecules (monomers) joined by chemical bonds to form long chains. These chains are flexible, allowing the polyvinyl alcohol to flow in a disgustingly, slimy manner.

This polymer slime is a fluid but it doesn’t flow normally, so it is a special type of fluid, called a non-Newtonian fluid. Other examples of non-Newtonian fluids are cornflour with water, blood, shampoo and paint. When this polymer slime is pulled slowly, it becomes thin and flows easily. Pulling the slime quickly makes it thicker and it can snap because the chemical bonds in the slime break. The chemical bonds in this polymer slime stretch before they break. This makes the slime elastic (stretchy) which allows it to bounce.

When borax and polyvinyl alcohol are combined they undergo a chemical reaction. We can observe the chemical reaction by feeling the mixture becoming cold. Therefore the chemical reaction is an endothermic reaction, meaning it absorbs heat energy. (An exothermic reaction is the opposite, it releases heat). Borax forms cross-links between the polymer chains in the polyvinyl alcohol. These are chemical bonds that hold the chains together, making the mixture less flexible and much thicker.

Borax Slime. (2013). Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre. Retrieved 8 August 2017, from https://www.questacon.edu.au/outreach/programs/science-circus/activities/borax-slime

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