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Topic: Coloring oil and preventing emulsification and more...  (Read 3316 times)

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Offline SuperSheep

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Coloring oil and preventing emulsification and more...
« on: January 08, 2007, 11:15:46 AM »
I'm working on a project that has got me stumped.

First, the project uses two liquids, in this case, oil & water.

I create turbulence in the liquid using mechanical means and want the result to be quite visible, hence why I have the oil floating on the water.

I have found a material that I can add to the oil that gives it a white appearance however since it is a solid, it tends to separate over time. To fix this, I mix every so often which does in fact remix the oil and solid but also emulsifies the oil into the water. Over time, the water begins to get cloudy, I'm assuming a result of the oil emulsifying.

If I don't mix every now and then, slowly the oil and solid will separate.

So, my questions are,

1) Is there anything that can be added to oil to make it white and not separate or is everything I add going to wind up being a suspension?

2) Is there a way to prevent or slow down the process of oil emulsifying with water or to cause the oil to go back together easier?

Offline Borek

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Re: Coloring oil and preventing emulsification and more...
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2007, 11:37:18 AM »
Why wite? Why solid? Look for some dye that is soluble in oil but insoluble in water (it must be non polar).
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Offline SuperSheep

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Re: Coloring oil and preventing emulsification and more...
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2007, 12:13:38 PM »
It must be white and no it doesn't need to be solid, however I am not aware of any oil-soluble solids or liquids that are white.

I have talked with a few chemists that work on pigments and dyes for painting and they told me there is no soluble white pigment. The only thing they could recommend was "solvent dye" which did not dissolve in oil, rather it was meant to be used in turpentine, mineral spirits, ie., solvents.

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