Liquid Neoprene

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

Ok I got feedback from all the companies i originally spoke with on this material. None of them knew anything about it OTHER then what they already do with it in their line of work. However I was given the information to contact the Chicago Latex company who they all get this material from. Well I called them, and they of course thought i was strange for asking all of my questions LOL!! But they them selves seemed unsure as to if it could work in water or not, but the man i spoke with on the phone said it probably wont hold up in water and it might dissolve but he REALLY didn't sound like he was sure on that. So I'm not taking NO as an official answer I will be calling and finding out if i can purchase a small sample of the more flexible liquid neoprene from the actual company itself or from the other companies i spoke to who use it themselves. So seems like this material is an unknown! And obviously much like that of ALEX plus! Me using it this way is not something the company intended. But WE SHALL SEE!!!!

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

Ok I contacted the Chicago Latex company and asked them for their support on my mermaid tail endeavors as the company actually sells things for mold making and artistic equipment in that media. I'm hoping that they will be kind enough to send me a cured swatch of the material so I can test it in water, or that they could just do it themselves. I let them know that this could be a great investment for them because if we as a community find value in the use of this product, they would then get an increase in sales and customers and many chances for good custo-MER relations. I let them know about our community and that there is a market that they could be tapping into. *fins and fingers crossed*

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

Ok I wrote to the Chicago Latex company and asked for sample swatches of the material so I could test it out myself. But they in fact have agreed to send me not only sample swatches of the cured liquid neoprene but also the liquid neoprene itself for me to test. Very excited!! Now i just need to grab some free samples of neoprene!

[Mermiah]

Wow! Your really going at this! (Respect!)
i hope the company's get back to you soon

Lets hope it doesn't dissolve :3

[Mermiah]

OH MY GOODNESS! Congratulations!! Haha this is going to be so so so cool if they work well!

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

Ok I got the Liquid Neoprene samples!!! I'm going to begin doing tests and sharing my findings with all of you <3

[Mermiah]

Fins crossed! I can't wait to know how it works!!

I'm just so so excited for this lol

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

OK so I have the tiny sample squares in separate bottles sitting in my closet on my shoe shelf (so I don't mistake them for drinkable bottles) And I will be checking on them periodically over the course of 24hours.
I understand that we don't all spend a full 24hours submerged in water, however my goal is to test how long the materials stand up in water for long periods of time, and even if we were to get out of the water we would constantly be getting back in to use our tails, so the material needs to be stable enough to last for a long time WITH constant exposure to water AND being submerged in water for hours at a time. (we would hate for the tails to last for one swim session, and then later fall apart in the next swim session.)
In the mean time let me share my current findings!
So far the material is turning a bit white/pale and 3 of the 4 samples sink.... the 4th sample is the KEY sample because it is the most flexible and pliable material! And if im going to use it over the wetsuit neoprene in the form of scales, then the scales need to also be able to pull and stretch with the shape and bending of the human form wile in the tail!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Hmm super interesting! it will be cool if it works.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Oh. I thought you were going to paint it on yourself! Like use your legs as THE cast...

That's why I thought it would be hot and not breathable... Shows how little I actually know about tail making!

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

im going to be making a tail shaped body out of thick neoprene wetsuit material and if the liquid neoprene can hold up in water for long periods.. I will use it to make molds of scales! Once the scales made of liquid neoprene are done I will attach them to the neoprene suit by hand one scale at a time. If the Liquid neoprene doesn't work out, then I will just use Silicone.
The reason I even wanted to give liquid neoprene a try is because i figured neoprene is neoprene and it should do will in water. Also liquid neoprene is non toxic and doesn't have an oder and is prob VERY easy to work with as apposed to other things. *shrugs* And if it becomes a good material to work with, its less expensive the other materials and also less hazardous! So it will be an all around win win.

[Mermaid Wesley]

How's the test swatches holding up?


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[Kelphinea_Kelp]

they did turn pale/white colored kinda like a fish belly white, but OTHER then being white there doing fine. I don't see them braking down in anyway, and they are not soggy and nasty. But only time will tell. TBH they turned white as SOON as they hit the water, so there is no telling if it has to do with the curing being effected or not. But after this 24 hour period i'm going to run to the store and grab some latex gloves and see if i can get them out of the water for a bit so I can handle them, and see if they are squishy and stretchy, or have any problems.

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

It's really cool cuz it's basically just like a controlled experiment, because each swatch has different levels of stiffness, and they are numbered. I feel like im on Lilo and Stich... I swear one of the swatches is numbered 626 LMAO!!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Hm were they definitely fully cured when you put them in the water? That's odd.


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[Mermaid Sirena]

I've never heard of that it will be really interesting to see how this turns out. Hope to see pictures and hear all about it

[Kelphinea_Kelp]

ok so here are my findings after one week of submersion in water with samples of Liquid Neoprene!
so on the day of submersion i noted that as soon as the samples hit water they turned pale, the original color of the samples was a manilla folder nude or dirty rubber band sort of color (yellow nude), as they hit the water the color instantly went pale to a white milky color! Now though the color changed i noticed that the material hadn't begun to brake down, at least (I think) not until day 3 in water. On the 3rd day I noticed that upon shaking the bottles I had placed each sample in individually, the water in each bottle began to turn cloudy and make soapy suds, as the agitation came to a stop in the bottle the water slowly went back to what would look ordinary. After a week of full submersion i ended the test by pouring out the water and collecting the samples, I noted a distinct odor, and noted that the company said the liquid neoprene HAD no odor! it smelled like hot duct tape! (if any of you have left duct tape in your car in the summer or had it in a heated space..) I didn't inhale the odor directly i wafted the opening of the bottle and moved it from side to side and held it away, but the odor was strong and smelled exactly as I described. I am currently allowing the material to dry so further document my findings, however I can say this. I DO NOT! recommend the use of Liquid Neoprene, the material did hold up in water however left behind a cloudy chemical residue, as these are man made chemicals i do not suggest exposure to them or exposing them to others (animals included). Now with that being said i have no information on the subject outside of my findings, so this is what i do NOT know! I do not know if Liquid Neoprene could be coated with something to keep it from slowly braking down, I do not know if the chemicals in their raw state are harmful to all forms of life, and I do not know if brakedown of the material could have been avoided by lessening exposure times. With all this being said I again DO NOT! recommend or support the use of this product for prolonged aquatic use.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Very thorough, thank you


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[AptaMer]

Hey Kelphinea, have you thought of using liquid latex to make the scales. Neoprene glue should be able to stick them to your tail. Latex works in water. Divers used latex dry suits in the water for years before the invention of the wetsuit.

Also, FWIW I have found a couple in Russia who are molding sheets of latex with 3D scales molded right into the material.

[Mermiah]

Aw...I hoped it would work :/ but it's awesome you were this objective