Ludwigshafen (ots) - Every winter it's the same old problem: Ice and snow wreak havoc with traffic. To battle the slick roads, the winter services people are out there day and night spreading salt on the streets. In entertaining episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions of our Podcast ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - In simple terms, behind the glass on the front of a plasma screen you'll find a whole lot of tiny cells that are filled with one of the 'noble' gases, generally neon or xenon. Each of these cells represents a single point - a pixel. If a voltage is applied to the gas, then it ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - If you want your leather shoes to continue to look clean and snazzy, then there's no way around it: you have to polish them occasionally. The polish that you apply contains both fats - lipids - and wax. The lipids make the leather soft and smooth, while the wax protects it from ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Although the way glow sticks work at first seems almost magical, it's actually pretty simple. They provide a purely chemical source of light. A glow stick is a sealed, see-through plastic pipe containing a fluorescent dye and two different liquids. In entertaining episodes our ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - After the advent of liquid crystal displays, or LCDs, everybody nowadays has at least heard the term 'liquid crystal'. The high-tech screens are everywhere: in computer monitors, cell phones, digital cameras, and calculators. In entertaining episodes our Chemical Reporter ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Cling film - also called plastic wrap - has to be pretty versatile. It should stretch a lot without tearing, it should keep out the germs, and it has to seal in moisture and aroma to keep those cold cuts from drying out and that chunk of French cheese from smelling up the ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - If you put the oil and water together in a single glass, then they act like a couple of suspicious neighbors. Each quickly finds its own level - the oil on top and the water below - and has as little interaction with the other as possible. There's a kind of fence between them that each is unable to overcome on its own: this ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - While taking a walk along the beach, you might have noticed shells that have inner surfaces that shimmer in colorful patterns when they reflect the sunlight. The iridescent substance responsible for it is called nacre, or more commonly: mother-of-pearl. The name says it all, ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Hair isn't exactly lying still all the time. It's constantly in motion - we brush it, run our fingers through it, and style it in all kinds of tortuous ways. When we tax it and strain it, the shingles on the outside of a strand of hair can stand up - or even break off. But with ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Bioplastics might look artificial, but they sure act like they're organic. When you toss them on a compost heap, for example, they simply disappear. There's no magic involved, though. Compostable bioplastics disintegrate in nature without leaving a trace. In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions of ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - A lot of stuff disappears down the drain that never comes out the other end. If you can't get to the blockage in the pipe to clean it mechanically, then your only choice to get the water flowing again is a drain cleaner. In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - In campfire stories, you often hear that someone's hair turns grey or white overnight because of a stressful or frightening experience. That's pretty obviously an exaggeration - but what ARE the factors involved when hair loses its young and vibrant tones and assumes that ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Sugar's ability to adhere to a surface pretty impressive. Back in the 1950s, women even used sugar water to hold extravagant hairdos in place - and it made them pretty indestructible. But how does the sugar do it? In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions of our Podcast listeners on Chemistry in our ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Everyone knows that oil and water just don't mix. But how come? In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions of our Podcast listeners on Chemistry in our everyday life. Direct subscription via RSS-Feed or iTunes (search for ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - A little fabric softener is a big comfort in a tough world. But what chemical trick is behind the feel of clothes freshly-rinsed with fabric softener?In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Fat tomatoes, enormous pumpkins, sunflowers that stretch up into the sky - for some home gardeners, what starts out as a hobby turns into a quest for the colossal. There are even competitions. And to have a chance, an ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - To protect themselves from the swords and arrows of their enemies, soldiers throughout the ages have used armor made of different types of material: leather, bronze or iron. Nowadays there are more comfortable ways to keep yourself protected. In entertaining weekly episodes ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Few spices are as treasured and avoided! A clove of garlic is both tasty and healthy, but after you eat it, don't be surprised if even your friends start to give you a wide berth. Quite a few people find the smell of garlic disgusting, and will probably keep their distance. ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - A motor oil's primary function in an engine is to lubricate its moving parts. A thin film of oil keeps the parts from rubbing directly against one another, preventing wear and ensuring smooth motion. To fulfill that ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - A leather jacket has been through an astonishing transformation. You can't even tell that it was once on the back of a cow. How do you make an elegant piece of leather from rough cattlehide? In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions of our ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Nowadays, most of us have a digital camera. In this case you wouldn't even ask such a question. You just print out the pictures. Developing pictures through classic photography is a bit more complicated. In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - You should be able to chew gum for some time without it dissolving. A determining factor is its chewable base. Nowadays, modern chewing gum consists mainly of a polymer mixture. In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter answers questions of our Podcast ...
Ludwigshafen (ots) - Dry ice cannot be found in nature. It is just not cold enough here on earth. In outer space, on the planet Mars for example, carbon dioxide hardens and turns into ice. But who is going to fly to Mars just to get dry ice? In entertaining weekly episodes our Chemical Reporter ...
