This Is Dry Water

Reactions (ACS)
Reactions (ACS)May 29, 2026

Why It Matters

Encapsulating water as a stable powder suggests new approaches for controlled release, safer handling of liquids, and potential uses in materials science, delivery systems and industrial processes where liquid management or gas capture is valuable.

Summary

Researchers and a chemistry demonstrator show how to make “dry water,” a powder that is 91.7% water by weight but behaves like a dry solid after water droplets are encapsulated in silica particles. Using a high-speed blender to combine about 10 g of water with 0.9 g of silica produces microscopic “liquid marbles” that leave the mixture looking dry yet release liquid when compressed. The video contrasts raw silica and single liquid marbles with the blender-made micro-marble powder and shows that further blending creates sub‑10‑micron encapsulated droplets. The presenter also produces a hierarchical “fractal” marble in which larger marbles are coated by much smaller ones, demonstrating tunable surface structures.

Original Description

finally. we've made liquid marbles out of liquid marbles.
#liquidmarbles #drywater #experiment
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