How does kinetic sand work?
An enchanting substance called ” kinetic sand “, which can be molded like clay, but feels silky, is enjoyable for
children and adults alike. For example, a #kineticsand Instagram search cuts, shreds, and collects thousands
of videos of people, which seems like a great sensory experience.
But what gives kinetic sand its deformation effects? :
Rick Sackleben, a member of the American Chemical Society, said the moving sand is ordinary sand coated with
silicone oil. Silicon does not refer to a specific substance, but to a group of substances that contain the elements
silicon and oxygen. Silicones are polymers, meaning they are molecules made up of long chains of duplicate units.
The compounds are used in “a variety of products, from cosmetics, lotions, shampoos and conditioners to lubricants
and sealants,” Sackleben said. .
Features of silicone oils:
Silicone oils have a unique property in that they can be liquids that flow freely, or semi-solids that flow slowly in the
absence of pressure, but act like rubber solids under stress. This feature is called “viscoelastic”. But the viscosity of
the material depends on the length of the polymer chains in the silicone oil. For example, “Imagine long pasta noodles.
They stick together so they can hold a shape, but put a ball of them on the counter and over time, they slowly fall into
a low mass.” Longer noodles hold their shape better than shorter ones. .
How does magic sand work?
An enchanting substance called “magic sand”, which can be molded like clay, but feels silky, is enjoyable for children and adults alike. For example, a #kineticsand Instagram search cuts, shreds, and collects thousands of videos of people, which seems like a great sensory experience.
But what gives kinetic sand its deformation effects? :
Rick Sackleben, a member of the American Chemical Society, said the moving sand is ordinary sand coated with silicone oil. Silicon does not refer to a specific substance, but to a group of substances that contain the elements silicon and oxygen. Silicones are polymers, meaning they are molecules made up of long chains of duplicate units. The compounds are used in “a variety of products, from cosmetics, lotions, shampoos and conditioners to lubricants and sealants,” Sackleben said. .
Features of silicone oils:
Silicone oils have a unique property in that they can be liquids that flow freely, or semi-solids that flow slowly in the absence of pressure, but act like rubber solids under stress. This feature is called “viscoelastic”. But the viscosity of the material depends on the length of the polymer chains in the silicone oil. For example, “Imagine long pasta noodles. They stick together so they can hold a shape, but put a ball of them on the counter and over time, they slowly fall into a low mass.” Longer noodles hold their shape better than shorter ones. .
