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Formula for Bubbles
This may seem dumb but does anyone have a formula for bubbles that they can share with me? Yes the bubbles that kids play with.
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16 Replies
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When I was in the lab we used to just take VO5 shampoo and dilute it to 30%. Worked pretty well.
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Most of the “homemade” bubble formulas contain water, detergent and glycerin.
I would start with a standard detergent formula and dilute it and add some glycerin.
Sounds like some fun times ahead testing that formula.
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Interesting subject.
http://soapbubble.wikia.com/wiki/Charmy_Dish_Detergent (scroll down for formula)I’d guess that most surfactants would work - try about 12% of SLES and 3% of CAPB in water for the detergent in the formulas above. -
I wonder if a cross linked polymer would work even better than glycerin.
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Thanks all. I know it should be a simple thing but I just don’t have a whole lot of time to devote to bubbles. As far as homemade formulas it doesn’t make sense as a manufacturer to buy shampoo and dilute it
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@DavidW I wasn’t suggesting that you buy a detergent/shampoo and dilute it but just suggesting that you use one of your own basic detergent/shampoo formulas as a starting point.
Have fun!
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I understood that
No worries, I appreciate your input as always. -
I think I will formulate some today just for fun. I’ll try using some Glucamate VLT to increase the film strength. So if you never hear from me again, it will be because I have been carried away by the wind.
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I was actually working with this as a serious project. There is more to it than diluting a shampoo. Some info is given by Bobzchemist links. To make a perfect soap bubble is an interesting challenge for a cosmetic chemist! (it has to be cheap as well…)
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@David So do you have any info to add since you were working on a similar project?
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Try about 10%SLES and enough betaine to create a medium thick solution. Disperse some corn starch in some extra water and add, stirring well. Add about 5% glycerin and mix. My dogs have been chasing the bubbles all over the garden.
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Thank you all for your help
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How high performance does this solution have to be? Years ago I was consulting for a professional stage bubble blower who specializes in blowing them from his hands, but there are all sorts of desiderata you could try to maximize, such as number of bubbles from a single dip of the wand, resilience of bubbles, their weight or lightness, etc. Like Belassi’s idea, the high-performing ones tend to include a carbohydrate-based polymeric film-forming substance. Hydroxyethylcellulose is in common use.
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Thank you all for your suggestions. We ended up using SLES, Coco betaine, a little glycerin
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Thanks for the follow-up!
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any suggestion ?
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