# three immiscible liquids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155 "2016-10-20T16:39:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/1 "2016-10-20T16:39:43Z")
Here is an example: [![](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/removed.png) and here > **[Amazon.com: 5.5" Dual Color Liquid Timer: Water And Oil Toy: Home & Kitchen](https://www.amazon.com/5-5-DUAL-COLOR-LIQUID-TIMER/dp/B00188XW9O)** > > Dual color Z liquid timer I’m aware of hydrophobic liquids like oil that won’t mix with water…and I’m vaguely aware of hydrophobic and oleophobic materials…but what are these liquids? There obviously is a clear liquid that doesn’t dissolve appreciably in oil or water and is able to be colored…what is or are some examples of such liquids? Or more specifically…whats in these devices? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/2 "2016-10-20T16:54:22Z")
One of these? > **[Multiphasic liquid | Triphasic systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiphasic_liquid#Triphasic_systems)** > > 1.Nonpolar solvent / aqueous biphasic mixture > e.g. using hexane, heptane, cyclohexane, or mineral oil as the nonpolar solvent > Nonpolar solvent / polar solvent / salt / water > e.g. 100 ml mineral oil, 100 ml isopropanol, 75 ml water, 35 g calcium chloride > Nonpolar solvent / water-soluble polymer A, water-soluble polymer B, water > e.g. hexane, polyethylene oxide, dextran, water > Nonpolar solvent / water-soluble polymer / salt / water > e.g. hexane, polyethylene oxide, sodium sulfate, water > Nonpolar solv... ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/3 "2016-10-20T17:13:14Z")
The linked devices just have an internal transparent divider. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/4 "2016-10-20T17:15:05Z")
But if you wanted three immiscible liquids, oil, water and mercury would do it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/5 "2016-10-20T17:16:16Z")
I recall seeing a cocktail made from several brightly colored liqueurs in a tall narrow glass. They weren’t technically immiscible, but they did have different specific gravities. Sufficiently different that with careful technique each successive lighter layer could be poured atop the developing stack of layers with no mixing. It was very festive. It took very little agitation to turn the whole thing into a brown mess. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/6 "2016-10-20T17:26:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I recall seeing a cocktail made from several brightly colored liqueurs in a tall narrow glass. They weren’t technically immiscible, but they did have different specific gravities. > > Sufficiently different that with careful technique each successive lighter layer could be poured atop the developing stack of layers with no mixing. > > It was very festive. It took very little agitation to turn the whole thing into a brown mess. [The pousse-café: The drink for engineers and smartasses](http://chanticleersociety.org/cocktailtime/Alchemist/PousseCafe.html) > [@](#): > > Knowing how to make a pousse-café can be rewarding, though. After you concoct it, you get to watch the smartass try to drink it. Although the first few layers might taste fine, the last few are always reminiscent of a melted Gopher Pop, and whether it’s the first or last drink of the evening, he’ll surely wake with one heck of a hangover the next morning. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/7 "2016-10-20T17:33:06Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The linked devices just have an internal transparent divider. That is to say, there are two separate sealed tanks sandwiched together - both containing clear light oil and each containing dyed water of a different colour. It’s easier to see in the second link where drops of one colour are passing in front of the other. They’re not touching because they are separated by a transparent wall of plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/8 "2016-10-20T17:38:16Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The linked devices just have an internal transparent divider. Well, sonofabitch :smack: Occam’s razor and all. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/9 "2016-10-20T18:06:11Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I recall seeing a cocktail made from several brightly colored liqueurs in a tall narrow glass. They weren’t technically immiscible, but they did have different specific gravities. > > Sufficiently different that with careful technique each successive lighter layer could be poured atop the developing stack of layers with no mixing. > > It was very festive. It took very little agitation to turn the whole thing into a brown mess. [Black and tan?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTaXAv2YZc) ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/10 "2016-10-20T19:12:08Z")
I just did this with my daughter for a school experiment. As I recall, we used vegetable oil, alcohol and water. We used salt, which was absorbed at different rates by the alcohol and the water, to change the densities of the water and alcohol. We were able to create a nice 3 level mixture that you could shake and that would reseparate. I’ve heard tell that something similar is possible with sugar… ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/11 "2016-10-20T19:13:56Z")
Fluorocarbons are immiscible with water, but also with many organic solvents. So that’s a common way of setting up a three phase system. The ‘fluorous phase’ allows you to do some creative things with how you process / purify chemical processes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/12 "2016-10-20T20:14:38Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > [Black and tan?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTaXAv2YZc) Not what I meant but the same idea. Black and Tans are showy but I’d rather enjoy a whole Guinness without the pollutant. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/13 "2016-10-20T20:15:36Z")
I came here to mention fluorocarbons and mercury, both already mentioned. Some organics can absorb enough water such that they become immiscible with other, less hygroscopic organics, but remain immiscible with water. Aniline/water/hexane is an example. So you might be able to make five if you add a fluorocarbon and Hg, but I haven’t seen any examples and I’m no longer equipped to check it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/14 "2016-10-20T22:36:43Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > One of these? > > [Multiphasic liquid - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiphasic_liquid#Triphasic_systems) Totally missed your link. This is pretty cool: > [@](#): > > A system with eight phases is known. In addition to a hydrocarbon and an aqueous phase, it includes a silicone oil, an aniline and a fluorous phase, and molten phosphorus, gallium and mercury. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/15 "2016-10-20T23:13:11Z")
Anything involving molten phosphorous is pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/16 "2016-10-20T23:31:21Z")
I remember Mr. Wizard doing this. I think he set up four or five layers; I know mercury, water, and mineral oil were in there but I don’t remember what else. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/17 "2016-10-21T00:34:09Z")
If you can deal with something just a bit warm there is an alloy called Woods Metal IIRC. Melts at about the temp of hot tea. Used to make “melting spoons” as a gag. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/18 "2016-10-21T00:40:28Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > If you can deal with something just a bit warm there is an alloy called Woods Metal IIRC. Melts at about the temp of hot tea. Used to make “melting spoons” as a gag. 10% cadmium? no thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/19 "2016-10-22T07:13:24Z")
Like sands through an hour glass, these are the oil drop timers of our lives. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-immiscible-liquids/769155/20 "2016-10-22T17:11:19Z")
How about oil, bromine, and sulfuric acid? I think they are inmiscible.