# Looking For Info On Water Dyes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-water-dyes/103657>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 15, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-water-dyes/103657 "2002-04-15T01:18:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-water-dyes/103657/1 "2002-04-15T01:18:10Z")

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Hello All

I am thinking about building a new watercooled computer and plan on putting a window in the case , lighting the interior with a small neon blacklight or two.  
Anybody know of a water dye that changes color as the water temperature changes in the range of 20-90’C?  
Bonus points for dyes that don’t eat plastic or copper or screw up the thermal conductivity too much.  
Thanks  
LIONsob

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2002, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-info-on-water-dyes/103657/2 "2002-04-15T01:42:24Z")

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Liquid crystals might do what you want. See [http://www.edmundoptics.com/IOD/DisplayProduct.cfm?Productid=1642](http://www.edmundoptics.com/IOD/DisplayProduct.cfm?Productid=1642) The link is for sheets of the stuff, but you can also buy the material in bulk. It’s pricey.  
You might also consider [Kalliroscope](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=images&as_qdr=all&q=kalliroscope&btnG=Google+Search) fluid. There are lots of different recipes for the stuff. It won’t change from pink to blue, but will reveal changes in the heat dissipation pathways by changing its reflectivity.