What is the atomic/molecular structure of SILLY PUTTY!?
Original Silly Putty is based on silicone chemistry, the same kind of chemistry responsible for flexible materials like silicone caulking and some gasket materials. The chemical formula for Silly Putty is: 67% Dimethyl siloxane (hydroxy-terminated silicon polymer plus boric acid) 4% Polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) 17% crystalline silica (quartz) 9% Thixatrol ST (a derivative of castor oil) 1% decamethyl cyclopentasiloxane 1% Glycerine 1% Titanium Dioxide (a white pigment for color) Silly Putty’s special flow characteristics are mostly due to the PDMS, which is classified as a viscoelastic fluid, that is one which exhibits non-newtonian flow. To find out more about the specific chemical structure, you should look up information on the precise chemical structure of Polydimethyl siloxane, and siloxanes in general. To round out your presentation, you might also want to look into the definitions of ‘viscoelastic’, ‘non-newtonian’ and ‘newtonian flow’, and ‘elastic’.
