Sugru

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For the surname, see Sugrue.
An unopened packet of Sugru silicone rubber.

Sugru, or Formerol, is a patented[1] multi-purpose, non-slumping brand of silicone rubber that resembles modeling clay. Sugru was developed by and is marketed by FormFormForm, a company in Hackney, London, with over 100,000 customers as of 2012, annual sales of $2 million, and a staff of 30.[2]

Sugru is malleable when removed from its airtight, moisture-proof packaging, retains its plasticity for thirty minutes,[3] and is self-curing at room temperature after approximately 24 hours. The material adheres to aluminium, steel, copper, ceramics, glass, fabric, brass, leather, plywood and other materials including ABS plastics.[1] When cured, it has a 'soft touch' or slightly flexible, grippable texture similar to features commonly found in soft overmolds. It is waterproof and dishwasher-safe,[4] and the material is thermally insulating, with a service temperature range between −50 and 180 °C.[1] Sugru is not resistant to some solvents.[5] The product has a shelf life of six months.[6]

The name Sugru derives from the Irish language word "súgradh" for "play".[7]

History

The idea for Sugru was developed by Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh from Kilkenny, Ireland.[7] Ní Dhulchaointigh studied product design as a post-graduate research student at the Royal College of Art[7] where she conceived the idea for the substance in 2003 whilst using mixtures of standard silicone sealants and sawdust in her work.[8]

After receiving business grants,[9] Ní Dhulchaointigh worked with retired scientists from Dow Corning[10] and a silicone expert over a seven-year period[8] at the materials department at Queen Mary, University of London[8] to develop a silicone elastomer that was moldable, self-adhesive and self-curing. Her goal was to enable people "to easily and affordably repair, improve or customize things they already own."[10]

Chemical compound

The formulation of sugru contains 30% Silicone caulk (Polysiloxane) 20-50% Talc, and the remaining additives including: methyltris (methylethylketoxime) silane, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and dioctyltin dilaurate.[11] The company claims its formulation can be varied to offer different levels of consistency, plasticity, softness, resiliency, surface adhesion, modulus and abrasion resistance, setting time, density, and ability to float[citation needed].

The company claims that Sugru is classified under EU Health & Safety regulations as "not dangerous",[12] but that it may cause an allergic skin reaction in uncured form.[13] It is manufactured by London-based Formformform Ltd. Sugru is not currently CE marked, and therefore is being sold outside of European legislation.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "FORMEROL F.10 / sugru Preliminary technical data sheet". Sugru.com, October 2009. 
  2. ↑ "Sugru: A gripping tale of struggle and success". CNN, Nick Glass and Tom Levitt, 26 October 2012. 
  3. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/5574595/sugru-is-moldable-silicone-perfect-for-all-your-diy-ideas-and-repairs
  4. ↑ Sorrel, Charlie (2009-12-01). "Sugru, An Amazing Silicon Modeling Clay for Makers and Hackers". Wired. 
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120722095421/https://getsatisfaction.com/sugru/topics/is_sugru_resistant_to_oil_petrol_solvents
  6. ↑ "Can you hack Methyltris(methylethylketoxime)silane?". Dansdata.blogsome.com, 1 July 2010. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Kilkenny woman invents best thing since blu-Tack and Sellotape". Kilkenny People. 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2010-02-06. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Wired meets the woman behind Sugru". Wired, Charlie Burton, 6 May 2010. 
  9. ↑ Una Mullally (2010-01-17). "Irish woman invents Sugru, 'the most useful item since Sellotape'". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 2010-02-06. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "FormFormForm gets ready to launch the next big consumer adhesive brand". Responsesource.com, 11 August 2009. 
  11. ↑ "FORMEROLsugru_MSDS_Oct09.pdf" (PDF). Sugru. December 2013. p. 1. Retrieved 09 December 2013. 
  12. ↑ http://sugru.com/about/
  13. ↑ http://getsatisfaction.com/sugru/topics/moderately_severe_systemic_allergic_reaction

External links

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