Zubbles

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Zubbles in flight

Zubbles are soap bubbles that used special dyes allowing them to be coloured. The soap mixture that produces them was the first in the world and marketed under that name by Zubbles. Invented by Tim Kehoe, a toy creator from St. Paul, Minnesota, the bubbles have a very distinct color and do not leave stains. After they have popped, the color disappears with friction, water or exposure to air.

[edit] Development

Kehoe started out mixing normal dyes with dish soap, but after that didn't work, he began to try other chemicals. The substances he used ranged from Jell-O to harsh chemicals such as nitric acid. After putting his work in coloring bubbles off so he could work for Bruce Lund, a man who ran a Chicago toy studio, Tim started his own company. Kick Design, as it was called, was mainly a front so that he would be able to easily get funding for continuing his bubble research. After an unexplained breakthrough in his kitchen, he was able to produce blue bubbles. He showed a video of these bubbles to many toy companies. All of them were very interested; however, the bubbles stained clothing. For the next eight years, Kehoe worked for Web-design and software companies. After his company sold out and he no longer had a job, he decided to get back into the toy business. He and Guy Haddleton formed their own company. After many fairly successful ideas, Tim told Guy about his bubbles. Guy told him to bring in a sample so that he could see them. After frantically rediscovering his work (lost due to possibly an ingredient which was changed in the dish soap he was using), Kehoe brought in his bubbles. These were different from those he used before in that now they were water soluble. Excited, he launched a focus group with Guy. Unfortunately, washing off with water wasn't enough. Parents especially were shocked to see their children's clothes and skin covered with colors. Pushing on, Kehoe posted a request on Monster.com for a dye-chemist. Ram Sabnis answered the request and worked until finally perfecting the dye. As of November 2005, Zubbles are not yet commercially available, but are expected in stores Spring 2007.

As of December 21, 2005, Ascadia has entered into a global license agreement with Spin Master Ltd. for Zubbles Colored Bubbles.

[edit] How they work

In a normal soap bubble, surfactants lessen the surface tension of the water and allow the bubble to form. To create a colored bubble, dye molecules must bond to the surfactants. Each dye molecule in Zubbles is a structure known as a lactone ring. When the ring is closed, the molecule absorbs all visible light except for the color of the bubble. However, subjecting the lactone ring to air, water or pressure, causes the ring to open. This changes the molecule's structure to a straight chain which absorbs no visible light.

Lactone rings can be produced whenever a long chain molecule contains acid functionality on one end, and alcohol functionality at the other. The two ends of the molecule react in a condensation reaction, ejecting a water molecule. To drive the reaction back towards the long chain, pressure, heat or an excess of water must be added. This is why the Zubbles dye disappears when you splash water on it, or rub it with your fingers.