Blackburn based manufacturer, Zimpli Kids, recently hit the headlines for making a success out of slime. They proved the slippy slope doesn’t always have to lead to failure.
The story of slime starts in the early 20th Century. That’s when the science of synthetic polymers was starting to be explored and amazing discoveries were being made. In the 1920s, scientists laid the groundwork for today’s polymers. A new molecular model of polymers was made suggesting they were formed in long, twisted, chain-like molecules. These models were confirmed later by two scientists using x-rays to study natural rubber (which is also a polymer). It was after this time that development of synthetic polymer and plastic materials really began to take off.
Various companies and corporations have developed and made polymer-based products, like slime, for many years. Early versions of modelling clay using polymers were sold. In 1943, James Wright, was attempting to create a synthetic rubber polymer to help the US war effort during the second world war. He was unable to achieve certain properties he was looking for and put his creation on the shelf thinking it was a failure. A few years later, a salesman for the Dow Corning Corporation was using this ‘failure’ to entertain friends. One guest was intrigued with it and realized that it had potential as a new toy. After being advertised on the Howdy Doody Show in 1957, Silly Putty® became a national toy phenomenon! In December 1968, it went to the Moon on Apollo 8. During the 1980s and into the 90s, various slime-based toys and were introduced by several manufacturers. The slime used was produced from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), guar gum, and even milk.
Zimpli Kids operates from Blackburn’s Greenbank Business Park in what is now likely to be affectionately nicknamed the Slime Factory. It makes its goo from powder, which it exports all around the world. But unlike some of its overseas competitors, Zimpli Kids manufacturing process does not create an end product which results in poisonous or harmful materials which can be dangerous to children. Their own website has a page dedicated to their product safety and testing certification.
As the old Northern saying states: ‘Where there’s Muck, there’s Brass’. It will be nice if we can say in in our town: ‘Where there’s Gunge, there’s Gold’. Thanks to Zimpli Kids, perhaps one day Blackburn could become the Slime capital of Britain.