| MadSci Network: Chemistry |
Dear Carea,
PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is a polymer that dissolves in water. As water
dries, the PVA molecules begin to link together to form chains of
different lengths. Certain surfactants and other chemicals can act
as "crosslinking agents" that will cause the chains to link together to
form a gel-like structure ("slime"). Traditionally, the most common
crosslinker is Borax (sodium borate). Paints contain many chemicals and
surfactants which could crosslink the PVA chains as readily as borate does.
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Chemistry.