[chat2bab]

chat2bab  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I have an old stationary engine which runs an old fashioned milking machine.

Could you tell me how I can turn water white to mimic milk? it musn't turn thick (settle on the bottom), stain the machines or smell.
 
ali

What do you think?

[Don_1]

Could I ask the purpose of this?

Is it for some form of museum display?

[Chemistry4me]

I have no idea if this works or not. SO DON'T BLAME ME!

Elmers glue and water.
Get the water boiling (Medium size pot). Remove from heat. Add 1 medium bottle of glue to the water and stir till totally disolved. Allow to cool. If too transluscent, gently warm the water and add more glue slowly till it satisfies your preference.
This is how they film milk for TV and print, as natural milk appears slightly blue-ish on film

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070906162342AAKbzGG

It's surprising what people ask.

[neilep]

Another way to make fake milk is to milk a fake cow !


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[JnA]

I put a certain brand of bath oil in my kids bath.. that turns the water white. It doesn't have an ingredients list but it does say: PRESERVATIVES Propyl hydroxybenzoate.
Perhaps there's something in there to explore

Dettol (brand) antiseptic does the same thing.. though it does have an odour.

[Chemistry4me]

Why don't you go with soy milk?

[Shadec]

i dont know if you get Dettol over there, but its an antiseptic here in Australia, it is 'activated' by water, turning it a thin, but milk-like soln.
you could try MgOH instead, i THINK it dissolves well in water, though it forms a basic oxide, turning it milky. (called milk of magnesia)

[chris]

Dettol's a good call because it really does look like milk and it definitely won't go mouldy! But, dettol produces the milky appearance in water because it is oil-based and, on mixing with water, splits up into billions of tiny oil droplets. These refract incident light waves in all directions, making the solution look white for the same reason that snow looks white (owing to the trillions of tiny crystals).

However, because it is oil-based it can attack plasticware and pipes and tubes following extended contact so, if you decide to go with "Dettol" (or something similar), you might want to check first that this isn't going to be a worry.

Chris