View source for Plasticine

{{short description|Brand of modeling clay}}
{{hatgrp|
{{for|the song by James Marriott|Don't Tell the Dog}}
{{distinguish|Pleistocene}}
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{{Use British English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox Toy
|name=Plasticine
|image=Little girl holding plasticine. (49810941302).jpg
|type=[[Modelling clay]]
|inventor=[[William Harbutt]]
|country=United Kingdom
|company=Harbutt
|from=1900
|to=
|materials=
|website=
|slogan=
}}
'''Plasticine''' is a [[putty]]-like modelling material made from [[calcium]] salts, [[petroleum jelly]] and [[fatty acid|aliphatic acid]]s. Though originally a brand name for the British product, it was later used [[Generic trademark|generically in English]] as a product category for other formulations. 

Plasticine is used for children's play and as a modelling medium for more formal or permanent structures.  Because of its non-drying property, it is commonly chosen for [[stop motion]] animation, including several [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]-winning films by [[Nick Park]].

== History ==
[[Franz Kolb]], owner of a pharmacy in [[Munich]], Germany, invented an oil-based modelling clay in 1880.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sculpturetools.com/chavant/cart/plasteline.html|title=Plasteline|publisher=sculpturetools.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820132041/http://www.sculpturetools.com/chavant/cart/plasteline.html|archive-date=August 20, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time, the city was a centre for the arts, and among Kolb's circle of friends were sculptors. They complained about how the clay they were using for modelling their sculptures would dry too fast and that, particularly in winter, it was too difficult to work with. In order to commercialize his invention, he presented it to the [[Faber-Castell]] company in 1887, which then used the name "''Kunst-Modellierthon''" (known as [[Plastilin]]), where it is still sold under the name "''Münchner Künstler Plastilin''" (Munich artists' Plastilin). In Italy, the product ''Pongo'' is also marketed as "''plastilina''" and shares the main attributes of Plasticine.

[[File:Plastilin-ddr.jpg|thumb|East German ''Plastilina'']]Plasticine is approximately 65% [[bulking agent]] (principally [[gypsum]]), 10% [[petroleum jelly]], 5% [[Lime (material)|lime]], 10% [[lanolin]] and 10% [[stearic acid]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=May|first1=James|title=Toy Stories|date=2009|publisher=Conway|location=London|isbn=9781844861071|page=[https://archive.org/details/jamesmaystoystor0000mayj/page/16 16]|url=https://archive.org/details/jamesmaystoystor0000mayj/page/16}}</ref> It cannot be hardened by [[kiln|firing]], it [[melting|melts]] when exposed to heat, and is [[Combustibility and flammability|flammable]] at higher temperatures.{{citation needed |date= September 2015}} In France, it is made by Herbin, and marketed as Plastiline. In Spain, toy manufacturer Jovi markets a product also branded "Plastilina", made from vegetable matter which makes it lighter. [[Play-Doh]], which is based on flour, salt and water, dries on exposure to air.

===Harbutt===
[[William Harbutt]], an [[art]] teacher in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], England, formulated Plasticine in 1897. Harbutt wanted a non-drying [[clay]] for his [[sculpture]] students. He created a non-toxic, sterile, soft and [[Ductility|malleable]] clay that did not dry when exposed to air.

Harbutt received a patent in 1899 and commercial production started at a factory in [[Bathampton]] in 1900. The original Plasticine was grey, but four colours were produced for initial sales to the public. Plasticine was used by children and was often bought by schools for teaching art. It has found a wide variety of other uses (for example moulding casts for plaster, and plastics).

Harbutt patented a different formulation in 1915,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=3&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19150830&CC=GB&NR=191419211A&KC=A|title=Citation of 1915 Harbutt patent|website=[[Espacenet]]|accessdate=15 August 2023}}</ref> which added wool fibres to give plasticine a stronger composition intended for ear plugs, and as a sterile dressing for wounds and burns.<ref>{{cite book|last1=May|first1=James|title=Toy Stories|date=2009|publisher=Conway|location=London|isbn=9781844861071|page=[https://archive.org/details/jamesmaystoystor0000mayj/page/25 25]|url=https://archive.org/details/jamesmaystoystor0000mayj/page/25}}</ref> The Harbutt company marketed Plasticine as a children's toy by producing modelling kits based on characters from children's stories, such as [[Noddy (character)|Noddy]], the [[Mr. Men]] and [[Paddington Bear]].

The original Plasticine factory was destroyed by fire in 1963 and replaced by a modern building. The Harbutt company produced Plasticine in Bathampton until 1983, when production was moved to Thailand.

The [[Colorforms]] company was the major American licensee of Plasticine from 1979 until at least 1984. The use of a different chalk compound caused a product inconsistency, and the US version was considered inferior to the original mix.

[[Bluebird Toys plc]] acquired Plasticine through its purchase of [[Peter Pan Playthings Ltd]], Harbutt's parent company. In 1998, [[Mattel]] bought Bluebird and the brand was sold to [[Humbrol Ltd]], known for its model paints and owner of the [[Airfix]] model kit brand. Flair Leisure licensed the brand from Humbrol in 2005 and relaunched Plasticine. It acquired the brand outright, when Humbrol entered administration a year later.

== Uses ==
===Current===
[[File:Tadzik1.jpg|thumb|A Plasticine model of a rat, by Polish animator Monika Kuczyniecka]]

Plasticine is one type of clay used in [[claymation]]. One of its main proponents is [[Aardman Animations]]' [[Nick Park]], who used characters modelled in Plasticine in his four [[Academy Award|Oscar]]-winning [[Wallace and Gromit]] short films ''[[A Grand Day Out]]'' (1989), ''[[The Wrong Trousers]]'' (1993), ''[[A Close Shave]]'' (1995) and ''[[A Matter of Loaf and Death]]'' (2008), as well as the feature films ''[[The Curse of the Were-Rabbit]]'' (2005) and ''[[Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl|Vengeance Most Fowl]]'' (2024). Plasticine-like materials are appealing to animators because the material can be used with ease: it is mouldable enough to create a character, flexible enough to allow that character to move in many ways, and dense enough to retain its shape easily when combined with a wire [[Armature (sculpture)|armature]], and does not melt under hot studio lighting.

Plasticine is used in [[long jump]] and [[triple jump]] competitions to help officials determine if the competitors are making legal jumps. A {{convert|10|cm|in|adj=mid|-wide}} 'indicator board' is placed beyond and slightly above the take-off line. The edges of this are chamfered and edged with plasticine. If an athlete leaves a mark in the plasticine, it is considered proof that the jump was a foul, and the attempt is not measured.<ref>{{Cite web  
|url=http://www.iaaf.org/download/download?filename=89ed4cba-6b5e-49fe-a43e-9f5487b77a84.pdf
  |author=[[International Association of Athletics Federations]] (IAAF) 
  |title=Competition Rules 2016-2017, Rule 184.3 
  |pages=208–210
}}</ref> Plasticine is used rather than sand, so that several boards may be prepared in advance: if a board is marked it may be replaced by a smoothed board immediately to avoid delaying the competition, but keeping the marked board available in case of challenges. An indicator board is used, rather than a wide strip of plasticine, as this provides a firm footing should the athlete step on it.

Plasticine-like clays are also used in commercial [[party games]] such as [[Barbarossa (board game)|Barbarossa]].

[[File:Plasticine garden veg.jpg|thumb|A life-size vegetable plot in [[James May]]'s ''Paradise in Plasticine'']]
Television presenter [[James May]], together with Chris Collins, [[Jane McAdam Freud]], Julian Fullalove and around 2,000 members of the public, created a show garden made entirely of Plasticine for the 2009 [[Chelsea Flower Show]]. Called "Paradise in Plasticine", it took 6 weeks and 2.6 tons of Plasticine in 24 colours to complete. May said, "This is, to our knowledge, the largest and most complex model of this type ever created." It couldn't be considered as part of the standard judging criteria as it contained no real plants, but was awarded an honorary gold award made from Plasticine.<ref>{{cite news |title=RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2009: Paradise in Plasticine |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea/small_gardens/may.shtml |agency=[[BBC]] |work=BBC One |access-date=20 May 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Elliott |first=Valerie |date=20 May 2009 |title=Top Gear plasticine garden takes 'gold' at RHS Chelsea Flower Show |url=http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/chelsea_flower_show/article6319449.ece |work=[[The Times]] |access-date=20 May 2009 }}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The garden won the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s 'peoples choice' for best small garden.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rhs.org.uk/showsevents/chelsea/2009/peopleschoice.asp |title=James May: Paradise in Plasticine|website=Royal Horticultural Society |date=2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423171515/http://www.rhs.org.uk/showsevents/chelsea/2009/peopleschoice.asp |archive-date=23 April 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Plasticine is used by geologists studying rock deformation. One study compared the performance of four German products: Beck's green and Beck's orange made by Beck's Plastilin, [[Gomaringen]]; Kolb brown made by Kolb, [[Hengersberg]]; and Weible special soft made by Weible KG, [[Schorndorf]].<ref>{{cite journal|volume=26|number=4|date=2004|pages=725–737|journal=Journal of Structural Geology|title=Rheology of plasticine used as rock analogue: the impact of temperature, composition and strain|first1=Janet|last1=Zulauf|first2=Gernold|last2=Zulauf|doi=10.1016/j.jsg.2003.07.005|bibcode=2004JSG....26..725Z}}</ref>

===Historic===
<!--- Do not change the spelling of 'fuze' to 'fuse'.  There is extensive discussion of this on the talk page. --->
During World War II, Plasticine was used by [[bomb disposal|bomb disposal officer]] [[John Pilkington Hudson|Major John P. Hudson]] [[Royal Engineers|R.E.]] as part of the defuzing<ref>{{harvp|Jappy|2001|page=rear cover}} "these bombs were to be defuzed 'regardless of the loss of life to bomb disposal personnel'."</ref> process for the new [[SC250 bomb#Fuzes|German "Type Y" battery-powered bomb fuze]]. The "Type Y" [[fuze]] has an anti-disturbance device that had to be disabled before the fuze could be removed.<ref>{{cite book|date=1953|page=182-185 |title=TM 9-1985-2 German explosive ordinance|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]]|url= https://archive.org/details/TM919852GermanExplosiveOrdnance1953/mode/2up}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/43/a3924443.shtml |title=The Earl and the Secretary |author=Dunstable Town Centre |date=20 April 2005 |work=BBC |id=A3924443 |quote=The "/Y" fuse behaved exactly like the normal one when tested, but it had an additional circuit that was isolated after activation. This circuit contained mercury tilt switches which would detonate the bomb if the fuse were turned, even slowly. This was a [[booby trap]] designed to kill bomb disposal personnel |access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|reason=This must be considered unreliable as much of what it claims is at variance with established texts. e.g. it claims that the 'liquid air' froze the mercury rather than liquid oxygen freezing the battery|date=March 2016}} Plasticine was used to build a dam around the head of the fuze to hold some [[liquid oxygen]]. The liquid oxygen cooled the battery down to a temperature at which it would no longer function; with the battery out of commission, the fuze could be removed safely.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hogben |first=Arthur |year=1987 |title=Designed to Kill |publisher=Patrick Stephens Limited |location=London |isbn=0-85059-865-6 |pages=131–133 |quote=It was believed that by using liquid oxygen poured over the fuze head the necessary very low temperature within the fuze could be achieved.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jappy |first=M. J. |year=2001 |title=Danger UXB |publisher=Macmillan Publishers |location=London |isbn=0-752-21576-0 |pages=150–153 |quote=That was wonderful when we got a bomb with the fuze lying at the top but if the fuze was at the side, it wasn't quite so easy. [...] I think it must have been me who thought of the idea of making a little neck of clay around the side to hold the liquid. I think I used plasticine actually. }}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Industrial plasticine]]
* [[Milliput]]
* [[Modelling clay]]
* [[Plastilina]]
* [[Sculpey]]
* [[Play-Doh]]

== References ==

{{refs}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat}}

* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/plasticine/ Photos tagged plasticine on Flickr]

[[Category:1880 introductions]]
[[Category:Aardman Animations]]
[[Category:Modelling clay]]
[[Category:English inventions]]