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, carnivals and other festive occasions, but it has also proven useful militarily to detect tripwires.

Composition

The material is a synthetic-based resin which was originally formulated using the chlorofluorocarbon propellant Freon 12, one of a group of compounds believed to damage the ozone layer. Within a year of Silly String's introduction, the United States banned Freon 11 and 12. The manufacturers then changed the formulation to use permitted propellants.

History