subject: What Makes Aqua Sand Magical [print this page] Maybe you have seen the TV commercial about a really unique kids activity toy called Aqua Sand. This is a kids arts and crafts toy that allows your child to make underwater art creations using a special type of sand. What makes this sand so unique is that it looks and feels like regular sand when you touch it when it is out of the water. But when you pour it in water is magically somehow sticks together so that you can form it and shape it in to any type of sculpture you want. Then when you scoop it up out of the water and looks, feels, and acts like regular sand. We want to take a look at how something like this can stay dry when after it has been placed underwater.
Think about this, if you are at the beach normal sand will clump together and feel when water rushes over it. The thing about Aqua Sand is that it always stays dry, even when you put it in water. The secret lies in the fact that this special sand is coated with a special substance that allows it to repel water. You can check this by pouring the sand in water, play with it, and then when you are done pour out the water and you have grains of dry sand staring you in the face. It will stay will stay dry no matter what. Simply, it is quite amazing and fun to play with as well.
The Aqua Sand does not get wet because it is a special type of material called a hydrophobic substance. With a material like this they do not mix with water, and that is the way they are made. The term hydrophobic means water fearing, and this accurately describes this magical play sand. This sand is very much like oil, as oil is also hydrophobic and it will not mix with the water. The Aqua Sand has a special water fearing coating applied to it which acts like a strong force to repel the water molecules away from it. The substance used to coat the sand is an oil like substance, and is very similar to a water repelling coating you find with clothing called Scotchguard.
What is really interesting is that hydrophobic sand did not start off as a toy for children. It was originally developed in the oil industry to help with oil spills at sea. When this magical sand is sprinkled on top of the water the surface tension between the grains of sand is enough to make it float on top of the water. The idea was that this unique sand could be sprinkled on the surface of the oily water and the sand would combine with the oil and make it sink to the bottom. Since the oil and sand mixture is now not on the surface anymore is can not contaminate beaches. This method was quite effective but is no longer used today as new technology has replaced using it for oil spills.
If you are looking for a new and creative toy for your children you will want to consider giving them Aqua Sand.
Find out more information, reviews, and availability for Aqua Sand by visiting http://aquasand.org
