Non-stick gum

If you accidentally stepped on a piece of gum on the sidewalk, it will no longer bother you. British scientists have invented a new type of gum that does not stick.

The product, called Clean Gum, will be easily removed from the sole of the shoe and the sidewalk, or hair, skin and clothes. Preliminary test results published today at York University, UK, also showed that gum will easily puff naturally in the water.

"The advantage of Clean Gum is that it is still very good, easy to remove and decompose naturally in the environment," Terence Cosgrove at Revolymer, which invented the gum, said. The key to removing adhesives in candy is to add a polymer that makes it harder to stick to most surfaces , which gum normally has.

Revolymer intends to sell massively Clean Gum in the market in 2008.

Professor Terence Cosgrove introduces non-stick chewing gum (Photo: TTO)

MT