how long does silly string last

Full Answer

How old is the book how silly string works?

Tracy V. Wilson "How Silly String Works" 16 January 2007. How Many Circles Contain White Dots? Try Our Sudoku Puzzles!

What is silly string?

Silly String. Silly String (generically known as aerosol string) is a toy of flexible, sometimes brightly colored, plastic string propelled as a stream of liquid from an aerosol can. The solvent in the string quickly evaporates in mid-air, creating a continuous strand. Silly String is often used during weddings, birthday parties,...

Is silly string illegal in the US?

The town board of Huntington on Long Island banned the sale of Silly String within 1,500 feet (460 m) of the route of a parade. In 2001, the town of Middleborough, Massachusetts, banned Silly String; offenders face a $300 fine. In 2004, Los Angeles enacted a city ordinance (LAMC Section 56.02) to ban aerosol string in Hollywood on Halloween night.

Does silly string contain resin or surfactant?

Neither resin nor surfactant is Silly String's primary ingredient, though. The plastic resin is only 10 or 15 percent of the mix, and the surfactant is less than five percent.

What is the texture of Silly String?

Silly String's characteristic texture and shape come from the proportions of these ingredients. Resin is the string's plastic component -- it creates the physical framework for the strands. With too much of it, the liquid couldn't foam very much and the final product would have a texture more like caulk. With too little resin, the strands would be ...

How does silly string work?

Silly String starts as a liquid inside the can and becomes continuous string outside of the can. The string is lightweight and slightly adhesive; it can stick to walls, clothing and other surfaces. It's also cohesive; unless you physically pull it apart, it holds itself together in one long piece. Most importantly, its adhesive strength is less than its cohesive strength. In other words, it takes less force to pull a strand off the wall than it takes to pull it apart. That's why you can usually grab Silly String after it dries, and the bulk of it will come off a surface in one big tangle. Exceptions are if you spray it at very close range, onto highly textured surfaces or onto surfaces that interact with its ingredients, like vinyl. In those cases, cleanup can require substantially more effort.

What would happen if Silly String was not a gas?

Without the propellant and the aerosol can, Silly String would have no foam. At normal air pressure, the propellant in Silly String would be a gas. The high pressure inside the can, however, keeps it in its liquid state, and all of the other ingredients are dissolved in it. When you press the nozzle, a valve opens inside the can, giving the highly compressed liquid a chance to escape. Liquid rapidly moves up the tube inside the can, traveling from the high-pressure environment inside to the lower-pressure environment outside. Outside of the confines of the can, the liquid propellant quickly becomes a gas, causing the remaining ingredients to foam. You can read more about aerosol cans in How Aerosol Cans Work.

What propellant is used in Silly String?

The propellant described in the patent is dichlorodifluoromethane, also known as Freon-12. The Silly String manufactured today uses other propellants -- Freon-12 is an ozone depleting substance that is no longer manufactured.

What makes silly string stickier?

Fine Tuning. Other ingredients can adjust the strength, stickiness, weight, color and flammability of Silly String. These include: Plasticizer, which makes the strands stronger and lowers the level of stickiness. Silicone liquid, which makes the strands easier to remove from surfaces. Pigment.

Is Silly String resin or surfactant?

Neither res in nor surfactant is Si lly String's primary ingredient, though. The plastic resin is only 10 or 15 percent of the mix, and the surfactant is less than five percent. By a substantial margin, most of what's in the can is propellant. The propellant causes the reaction between the resin and the surfactant.

Is silly string sticky?

Silly String is sticky enough to adhere to vertical surfaces. Whether you're spraying Silly String in a hunt for tripwires, at a celebration or just for fun, you're probably not thinking too much about its physical properties. But those properties are responsible for everything it can do, and taking a moment to define them can help you understand ...

How to clean a string?

All you need to dissolve Silly String and make cleaning it up that much easier is water, mineral spirits, and a spray bottle to mix them up in . Make sure the bottle is filled with equal parts water and mineral spirits. Spray the solution on the messy areas and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Repeat the steps as needed until ...

Can you spray string at people?

It’s a lot of fun to spray at people, but as anyone who has had a Silly String fight can tell you, it’s a nightmare to clean up. In most instances, it is your best bet to avoid spraying it indoors. The more that you spray in certain areas, the harder it is going to be to clean up.

Modern Growl

If so, how long do they last usually? I just bought like 5 sets of different strings to try them all out (I'm a bit over zealous) and I'm concerned about the shelf life.

Mon Rominee Inactive

Eh, I imagine over a period of time/ climactic changes they might develop *some* natural corrosion, based solely on the materials used and all that, but over the long term, I can't imagine the change would super-drastic.

JMX Vorsprung durch Technik

It depends I guess, some weeks ago I bought some Rotosounds for small € that probably are 7-10 years old, still crisp!

EricTheEZ1

Exactly what is keeping you from changing strings for over 5 years? I like to make it an even 4 months with my DRs. Always last and always sound great. I can swing $60/yr.

KSB - Ken Smith Inactive Commercial User

It also depends on how long it took for the Strings to be Wrapped, Packaged and Shipped to a store after the Bulk String was Completed. Different stocking methods exhist from "Bulk to Packaged" between and within each company. Alot can happen in that time that is due to Weather and Humidity.

alembicbassist

I bought a set of Alembic nickles once that where corroded when I got them home. I assume they sat for may years in the store. Never bought Alembic brand again.

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