Table of contents
PVA is the soul of slime
If activators give slime its life, then PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) is its very soul – the essential polymer that enables borax cross-linking.
Typically, PVA exists as solid particles and cannot be directly used to make slime. First, we must dissolve PVA powder in water to create a PVA solution, known as slime glue. Then, an activator is used to transform it into slime.
💡 After reading this article, you will be able to:
- Make your own slime glue
- Create slime with richer textures
Which type of PVA should I choose to make slime glue?
There are so many types of PVA powder. Which one should we buy to make slime glue?
Slime glue affects the transparency and thickness of slime. If we want to make thick and clear slime, we can choose PVA 2488, PVA 2499, PVA 1788, or PVA 1799.
If you want more details about the effect of PVA on slime, you can read the following post.
Prepare the materials and start making clear slime glue
Information
15 min
60 min
Medium
Clear Slime Glue
Colour Slime Shop
Material Details
- PVA 2488 15g or more
- PVA 2499 15g or more
- Deionized water 200g or more
Equipment to be used
- Beaker, or another container
- Glass stirring rod or long-handled spoon.
- Weight scale
- Constant temperature water bath, or induction cooker.
Key parameters: PVA solid content
The solid content of PVA, or the concentration of PVA, is related to the clay and transparency of the produced slime glue, which ultimately affects the transparency and thickness of the slime.
💡 Solid content refers to the proportion or percentage of solid material present in a substance or mixture.
The solid content of PVA used to make slime is 12%-15%. That is:
- The ratio of PVA to water is 12-15:100
- The concentration of PVA is 12%-15%
Using PVA 2488 to make Clear Slime Glue
Step 1: Add PVA to Deionized Water
Prepare 15g of PVA 2488 powder and pour it into 100g water in portions, stirring while adding.
Important！
- Polyvinyl alcohol powder 88 series with 80 mesh and above can be dissolved in cold water (20-30℃).
- Polyvinyl alcohol powder with 80 mesh can be directly added to water to make a slime glue.
- When dissolving, it should be added while stirring, so the dissolution speed is faster.
Step 2: PVA Swelling
PVA needs to absorb water and swell before dissolving. This stage is called PVA swelling. We need to slowly stir the solution for 30 minutes.
The picture below shows PVA swelling after absorbing water.
Important！
- Keep still or stir slowly to help the particles fully absorb water and swell.
- The swelling process can loosen the internal structure of the PVA particles in advance to avoid the particles being dissolved on the outside while not dissolving on the inside.
Step 3: PVA Fully Dissolved
Stir slowly until the PVA particles are completely dissolved. The picture shows that the Slime Glue is full of bubbles due to stirring too fast.
Step 4:Successfully made Clear Glue
Let it sit for about a day and wait for the bubbles in the slime glue to disappear before using it to make clear slime.
Make a clearer slime glue with PVA 2499 powder
If the transparency of slime made with PVA2488 is still not satisfactory to you, we need to choose PVA with an alcoholysis degree of 99% (higher) to make clear slime
Equipment needed
Model 99 PVA is not soluble in cold water, so we need heating equipment to heat the water.
I use a water bath, but you can also use an induction cooker to heat the water.
💡This method of dissolving PVA powder is called water bath heating method.
Step 1: Add PVA to Deionized Water
Same as PVA 2488, omitting
Step 2: PVA Swelling
Same as PVA 2488, omitting
Step 3: Heat water to dissolve PVA
Set the heating temperature at 95 °C. Different types of PVA have different temperature requirements. The PVA2499 used here needs to be dissolved in hot water between 90 °C and 100 °C.
Place the swollen PVA solution into the equipment and start heating while stirring slowly.
After heating to 95 °C, stir for about 30 minutes until the PVA powder is completely dissolved.
Important！
- Note: Dispersion and swelling are key. If the material is added too quickly or the swelling step is skipped, it is easy to cause agglomeration, and particles cannot be completely dissolved.
- Avoid overheating and boiling: Overheating may cause the solution to change color or produce too much foam, affecting the effect. internal structure of the PVA particles in advance to avoid the particles being dissolved on the outside while not dissolving on the inside.
Step 4: Successfully made Clear Glue
Let it sit for a while and wait for the bubbles to disappear. Then we can get a more transparent clear slime glue.
Activate Slime
Normal clear glue is not suitable for activation with a high-concentration borax solution. The recommended concentration is:
2%-5%, that is:
- 2 g- 5 g borax, 100g water.
- or 0.48 to 1.2 teaspoons borax, 0.42 cup water.
Some slime glue knowledge extension
Effects of degree of polymerization and alcoholysis on the properties of PVA
The difference in PVA properties is mainly determined by its degree of polymerization and degree of alcoholysis.
The influence of the degree of polymerization on its properties:
- As the degree of polymerization increases, the molecular weight increases and the viscosity also increases;
- As the degree of polymerization increases, the solubility decreases and the permeability decreases
Method for testing whether PVA is completely dissolved
Take out a small amount of solution and add 1 to 2 drops of iodine solution. If a blue granular transparent body appears, it means it has not been completely dissolved. If the color can spread evenly, it means it has been completely dissolved.
Transparency comparison of 6 clear glues
If you need a higher-quality glue with better texture, you can take a look at our slime glue.
Specially designed for slime making, supporting bulk wholesale.
Slime Glue determines the transparency of the slime. In the picture above, we can see that Colour Slime New Glue, Elmer's Clear Glue and PVA 2499 Glue have the same transparency. Colour Slime Putty Glue, PVA 2488 Glue, and Korean Clear Glue are slightly whitish.
