This is one of the most fascinating things I've come across in work to date. It is a
water-finding paste used mostly on cargo ships to determine if there is water in the dead bottom of a cargo tank, a big problem for many cargoes and their recipients. I first saw this demonstrated by one of our consultants and it's become invaluable to me in the laboratory. It is a golden coloured paste that is supplied in a tube. It can pass through hydrocarbons or fuel-based cargoes and, upon contact with water, it turns pink as shown in todays picture. It is unaffected by passing back through that cargo to show the colour change. I've used in on many occasions when a client has not told us if a clear liquid is water-based or not, often crucial when trying to determine what tests you can safely do on the liquid from both a personal and instrument aspect!
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