Slime (toy)
Type | Novelty toy and stress toy |
---|---|
Company | Mattel |
Country | United States |
Availability | 1976–present |
Materials | Guar gum, PVA glue |
Slogan | Gooey, drippy, oozy, cold 'n clammy[1] |
Slime is a toy product manufactured by
Different variations of Slime have been released over the years, including Slime containing rubber insects, eyeballs, and worms.The late 1970s also introduced a Slime Monster board game; the object of the game is for the player to avoid having their game piece slimed on by a foot-tall plastic monster with slime oozing from its mouth. Other toy companies have produced their own slime, such as Hordak's Slime Pit playset as part of the Masters of the Universe toys in the 1980s and Ecto-Plazm play gel[4] sold with selected figures in Kenner's Real Ghostbusters toy line. Playmates Toys' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure line introduced a Retro-mutagen slime sold in containers and included with playsets.[5]
While the substance is non-toxic, it is extremely difficult to remove from soft furnishings.
Chemical components
The main components are the
Cultural impact
Slime has expanded into other franchises such as
Toxicity scare
In 2018, Which? reported that eight out of eleven slime lines from Amazon contained boron levels that exceeded European Union safety standards.[6] Slime uses borax, a compound of boron, to give itself a gelatinous texture. Parents were warned that excessive exposure to boron can cause skin irritation, diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps.[7] However, according to Snopes, claims about slime's carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity were either false or unlikely to matter in the concentrations available to consumers and through their typical routes of exposure.[8]
See also
- Flubber (material), rubbery polymer commonly called slime
- Gunge
- Silly Putty, another jelly substance obtained from cross-linking polyvinyl alcohol chains with borate anions
References
- ^ Engber, Daniel (2016-07-18). "Will Ghostbusters Bring Back the Glory Days of Slime?". Slate. Archived from the original on 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
- ^ SLIME, ser. no. 75/198,386 (filed November 15, 1996), reg. no. 2,206,408 Archived 2013-04-04 at the Wayback Machine (December 1, 1998) (noting date of first use in commerce as February 18, 1976). United States Patent and Trademark Office. Accessed March 10, 2018.
- ^ Katz, David A. (2005). "Guar Gum Slime" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2024-04-19 – via Chymist.com.
- ^ "Real Ghostbusters Ecto-Plazm!". x-entertainment.com. Retrieved 2017-12-09.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c Wilson, John (22 March 2016). "Slime: A History of Mattel's Grossest Toy Plus Tips on How to Make Slime!". Completeset. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ Fox, Hannah (17 July 2018). "Children's Toy Slime on Sale with up to Four Times EU Safety Limit of Potentially Unsafe Chemical". Which?. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022.
- ^ "Parents Warned over 'Toxic' Slime". BBC. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ Kasprak, Alex (20 March 2017). "Does the "Slime" Craze Bring Serious Health Risks?". Snopes. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.