Polymer clay looks like standart modelling clay, but it differs from it by its properties. It has more elasticity and sticks less to the hands. It usually contains no clay minerals and is only called clay because of its texture and working properties resemble those of mineral clay. Polymer clay is a type of hardenable modeling clay. It can solidify in two ways: when heated at high tebperatures or when exposed to air for a long time. In the second case, it is called self-hardening polymer clay.
Also, a distinctive feature of polymer clay is the variety of colors in the palette, as well as the ability to mix them to obtain new shades.
The world's first synthetic plastic was invented by the Belgian chemist Leo Hendrik Bokeland. In 1907, Baekeland patented his invention, which he called Bakelite. This resin was the first synthetic plastic that did not soften at high temperatures. The material could be turned into absolutely anything - from a dish to an airplane propeller. Bakelite did not melt, did not burn, was resistant to acids and alkalis. It was used for practical and decorative purposes and was very popular with designers. It was Bakelite that became the great-grandfather of polymer clay in the form in which we know it now.
In 1939, the German puppeteer Cathy Kruse (pictured above) was already an established and well-known master, the owner of her own production for making dolls. Cathy was puzzled by the search for a new material for making doll heads, and she was full of energy, and she began to experiment with new substances on her own. She tried to find a material that was not as brittle as porcelain and less malleable than clay. As a result of hard work, she nevertheless created a new material that met her requirements. But the material she invented turned out to be unsuitable for mass production, and, consequently, for making a profit from its sale.
Cathy's daughter, Sophie, continued her mother's work. She also began to experiment with the mass herself, mixing pastes and various dyes into it, and received many forms and objects. She used the material to create vases, mosaics, photographs, miniatures, drawings and toys. Sophie Rehbinder-Kruse formulated her own philosophy, which roughly read: "Humanity instinctively tends to model things - this is its way to preserve something important and dear to its heart." Sophie continued to develop and in 1954 created her first modeling clay set that could be used for commercial production. She becomes the author of the FIMOIK brand, using the first two letters of her nickname (Fifi) FI, MO - from modeling clay, IK - the last two letters are the end of the word mosaic - Sophie's favorite technique. Thanks to the family's excellent connections with big businessmen in the toy trade, the first batch of 'Kaethe Kruses Ofenknete' (baked clay) hits the supermarket shelves. In 1964, following the success of the new material on the market, Eberhard Faber acquires all rights to FIMOIK. In 1966, polymer clay was slightly improved and changed its name to the more harmonious, which we now know - "FIMO".
Success in the European market was followed by a triumphant entry of polymer clay into the United States of America. In the early 1970s, the Schaup family, who emigrated to the United States from Germany, received a Christmas package from their grandmother. There they found a package of Fimo polymer clay. Mrs. Schaup was fascinated by this amazing material and began to sculpt all kinds of figures from it. Soon she began to be interested in where she got this material. And Mr. Schaup, unemployed at the time, didn't miss the opportunity to start importing polymer clay into the US from Europe. In 1975, he created the Excent Importos company, which was engaged in this. Mr. Schaup showed shops everything that could be done with polymer clay, and sales were very successful.
At the moment, the German company Eberhard Faber is the largest manufacturer of polymer clay. Today they have several plastic production lines with different effects and colors. Since 2010, the FIMO trademark has been marketed under the STAEDTLER brand.
At the same time, other manufacturers were developing a product that was similar in properties to FIMO. In the late 1950s, the Italian Monica Resta used a clay called Limmo. Presumably, its creator was Rudolf Reiser, who also invented the "Formello" and "Modello" clays, which are still popular today.
And in the early 1940s, the American company Zenith Products, which specialized in the production of varnishes, waxes, hot compounds for electrical insulation, created a new product called Skulpey. It was originally designed as a heat conductor and was used to remove heat from the core of electrical transformers. However, for these purposes, the material was not very successful, and its further development was postponed indefinitely. But one day, one of the visitors to the factory molded a figurine from clay, which was then baked in a laboratory oven. Thus, Skulpey polymer clay was discovered as a material for artistic creation. All this happened in the mid-1960s, and in 1967 production and sales began in the United States. Colors were only added to Skulpey polymer clay after 1983.
Today, polymer clay is one of the most popular materials for creativity. It is used to decorate interior items, a huge variety of cute and beautiful things are made from it: jewelry, dolls, buttons, paintings, frames and much more.
Polymer clay is popular with artists, designers and craftsmen.
The basis of this material is polyvinyl chloride. When exposed to high temperatures, it hardens and the products resemble plastic or ceramic.
A conventional oven is suitable for baking products. The temperature for this is indicated in the instructions for the brand of clay. As a rule, this range is from 110°C to 130°C. It is impossible to exceed the temperature indicated in the instructions, because. burning plastic releases toxins.
Self-hardening light polymer clays - children's modeling masses, undergo a thorough examination and are allowed from 3 years old (I-Clay, A-Clay, etc.).
The Boston Arts and Crafts Materials Institute conducted a study of the products of major polymer clay manufacturers and concluded that the materials meet the ASTM D-4236 standard for arts and crafts materials established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Studies summarized the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of phthalates used in polymer clays and the estimated intake of phthalates by professional artists. The results showed that the amount of phthalates taken into the body through the skin is less than expected, and the amount taken orally is well below the established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for all phthalates tested. However, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group has concluded that the use of polymer clay can lead to unsafe levels of phthalate plasticizers being produced in the body, especially among children, through accidental ingestion of traces left on the hands after work.
By 2009, the European Union and the state of California passed a ban on the use of phthalates. Manufacturers of polymer clays have changed the composition and brought it into line with the new standards.
Since it is not a natural material, it is not recommended for use by children under 8 years of age. Also in this regard, there are several rules for its use:
- parents must be present when baking pottery by older children
- when burning plastic, you should ventilate the room, and when baking, turn on the hood
- after baking, the oven should be washed
- dishes and all tools that come into contact with clay can no longer be used for food
After baking, the material ceases to be toxic.
There are three types of polymer clay: self-hardening, baked and liquid. Self-hardening polymer clay requires no heat and cures well at normal room temperature. The hardening time is from several hours to several days, depending on the manufacturer.
- Fimo
- Cernit
- Sculpey
- Kato
- Bake Shop
- Pardo
- Papa's Clay
