During World War II, America’s supplies of natural rubber was scarce. The Japanese had occupied many areas in the South Pacific where rubber trees are found.
GLUX Putty and many other silicone rubber products were developed during World War II as American industries searched for rubber substitutes that could be used in place of natural rubber tires, gaskets, and seals.
In 1936, at the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, Dr. Earl Warrick began experimenting with “organosilicon” chemistry - combining silicon (think: sand, glass, computer chips) with carbon (think: you and me, charcoal, and fossil fuels).
In 1943, he left the institute to join the newly formed Dow Corning Corporation. His research was refocused – help the war effort by developing a synthetic rubber substitute. Although he failed to produce a suitable rubber before the end of the war, one result of his experiments was a Silicone Bouncing Putty (the primary ingredient in GLUX Putty).
Although it had no industrial use, he kept some around - it made a nifty toy!
