The borax is acting as the crosslinking agent or "connector" for the glue (polyvinyl acetate) molecules. A cross-link is a bond that links one polymer chain to another. They can be covalent bonds or ionic bonds. "Polymer chains" can refer to synthetic polymers or natural polymers (such as proteins). Once the glue molecules join together to form even larger molecules called polymers, you get a thickened gel very similar to slime. Below is the chemical formula for glue, borax, and what they create when combined with each
The borax is acting as the crosslinking agent or "connector" for the glue (polyvinyl acetate) molecules. A cross-link is a bond that links one polymer chain to another. They can be covalent bonds or ionic bonds. "Polymer chains" can refer to synthetic polymers or natural polymers (such as proteins). Once the glue molecules join together to form even larger molecules called polymers, you get a thickened gel very similar to slime. Below is the chemical formula for glue, borax, and what they create when combined with each