<A little more on algae The Oil Drum A Different Way to Perform the Hubbert Linearization>
<DrumBeat: August 17, 2006 DrumBeat DrumBeat: August 19, 2006>

158 comments on DrumBeat: August 18, 2006

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Show without comments | PDF version

JoulesBurn on August 18, 2006 - 9:38am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Can anyone comment on this?

Oil and water can for the first time be mixed and separated on demand thanks to a new, reversible surfactant.

The liquid molecule could prove invaluable in mitigating the environmental damage caused by oil spills, such as the one currently spreading along the coasts of Lebanon and Syria.

Such a chemical could also simplify commercial oil extraction from currently inaccessible deposits, its designers say.

http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn9781-oil-and-water-mix-and-unmix-on-demand.html

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
NeverLNG on August 18, 2006 - 11:16am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
A modern "philosopher's stone" to turn base metals into gold!

"Living better through chemistry"

Well, we can all hope so.  It's a better bet than ethanol

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
JoulesBurn on August 18, 2006 - 11:32am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Questions I would ask include:

To what extent are surfactants already used to help with oil extraction?

Is its use expensive?

Is it difficult to recover the oil from the water emulsion with current surfactants?

Comments can no longer be added to this story.
oldhippie on August 18, 2006 - 8:39pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
For what it's worth, the Dutch for a few years now have had oil paints with no solvents other than water and a little propylene glycol. Factory makes trad oil paint, removes and reuses solvent, adds water. I'm told surfactants are part of what makes it work. Works great. Pricey.
Comments can no longer be added to this story.
fleam on August 19, 2006 - 3:14am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Water-based oil paints are as close as your local art store. I've not tried them, but they've been on the market for years. And they're pricey because all oil paints are pricey. My suggestion - paint like Whistler, lots of thin washes.
Comments can no longer be added to this story.

158 comments on DrumBeat: August 18, 2006

Comments can no longer be added to this story.

Show without comments | PDF version