hunkygoddess:ultrafacts:science-isinteresting:awkwardscotty:Someone from science tumblr that knows w
hunkygoddess:ultrafacts:science-isinteresting:awkwardscotty:Someone from science tumblr that knows what they’re talking about(i.e. not me) should explain this right nowI just did a quick google search out of curiosity, so I thought I’d share with you guys.Magic sand is simply regular sand which has been dyed and coated with a hydrophobic substance – a substance which repels water – called trimethylsilanol (TMS) (CH3)3SiOH. Trimethylsilanol is used to apply a hydrophobic coating on silicate surfaces. It reacts with the silicon atoms of the substrate, coating the surface with a layer of methyl groups, which are non-polar and will repel the water molecules.The presence of this compound causes the grains of sand to adhere to one another and form cylinders (to minimize surface area) when exposed to water. As soon as the sand is taken out of water, it is completely dry and flows freely.Magic Sand can lose its hydrophobic properties if the special coating on the sand is removed or damaged. This can be done one of two ways. Oil will readily mix with magic sand, and this can cause your sand to become ‘wet’, and you will not be able to reuse the sand. Common soaps such as dishwater detergent will remove the hydrophobic coating from magic sand, causing it to become ordinary, hydrophilic sand. Interesting fact: Magic sand was originally developed to trap ocean oil spills near the shore. This would be done by sprinkling Magic sand on floating petroleum, which would then mix with the oil and make it heavy enough to sink. However, due to the expense of production, it is not being used for this purpose. X X X XSCIENCE -- source link
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