The reluctance of these two liquids

這兩種液體難以

to mix together and stay that way is so well known they

混合在一起並保持混合狀態是已經眾所周知到它們

have become cliche for any two things

已成為陳詞濫調，

that do not go together well.

用來形容兩種無法共存的東西。

Currently, there are ways to mix the two,

目前，要混合油和水有許多種方式，

but ultimately, they will separate again.

但它們最終都會再度分離。

So what if there was a way to not only mix oil and water,

那麼如果有一種方法不僅可以混合油和水，

but to have the mixture remain stable

還可以讓混合物保持穩定

for long periods of time, perhaps indefinitely?

很長一段時間，也許還能一直保持穩定呢？

Well, a team of researchers at MIT

嗯，麻省理工學院的研究人員團隊

may have found a way to do just that.

可能已經找到方法來做到這一點。

Here we have oil and water represented

我們這裡有油和水，

by the colors red and blue.

分別用紅色和藍色代表。

Alone, these two liquids will not mix together.

這兩種液體獨自擺放並不會混合在一起。

But add in a soap-like substance,

但是添加了稱為界面活性劑

called a surfactant, then mix, and suddenly, the two liquids

這種類似肥皂的物質之後再混合，這兩種液體突然之間

will blend.

就融合了。

This type of mixture of two or more liquids

這種含有兩種或以上液體的混合液

that are normally immiscible is called an emulsion.

通常不會互溶，稱為乳膠液。

Now, creating emulsions is not a new process.

如今，製造乳膠液已經不是一個新的製程。

Think of the mixture of oil and vinegar in salad dressings,

可以想一想沙拉醬中油和醋的混合物

for example.

當作例子。

But the challenge is to get the emulsions

但是挑戰在於讓乳膠液

to remain stable for longer than a few minutes.

保持長於幾分鐘的穩定。

The key to overcoming ultimate separation

克服液體最終會分離的關鍵在於

is to have really small, nano-sized droplets.

要有非常微小，小到奈米的液滴。

When the drops are that small, gravity cannot overcome them,

當滴劑如此地小，重力無法影響它們，

and they can remain suspended indefinitely.

因而可以一直保持懸浮狀態。

There are ways to do this.

有許多方法可以做到這一點。

However, the current industrial processes

然而，目前的工業製程

are extremely energy intensive and expensive.

極度耗能且昂貴。

The new process used in the MIT lab

麻省理工實驗室用的新製程

requires very little energy, in fact, no mixing at all,

需要的能源非常少，事實上，根本不需要混合

and can remain stable for months.

就可以維持穩定達到數個月之久。

This new process takes a bottom-up approach

這個新製程採取由下而上的方式，

by using condensation to create the droplets.

使用冷凝來產生液滴。

First, they take a reservoir of oil with an added surfactant,

首先，他們在貯備的油中添加了表面活性劑，

place it inside a chamber with very humid air,

將其放置在空氣非常潮濕的室內，

and cool the oil.

然後將油冷卻。

As it cools, the condensing water

當它冷卻時，冷凝的水

forms droplets at the surface that

會在表面形成液滴，

spread through the oil-surfactant mixture,

液滴會透過油狀的介面活性劑混合物擴散，

forming uniform, nanoscale droplets.

形成大小相同的奈米尺度液滴。

These droplets are so tiny and uniformed that they

這些液滴既微小又尺寸一致，

are hard to even see under a microscope.

甚至在顯微鏡底下都難以看見它們。

The team believes the approach should

團隊認為這種作法應該

work with a variety of oils and surfactants.

適用於各種油類和介面活性劑。

This new process could provide design guidelines for use

這種新製程可以提供設計規範，

in particular applications that have

特別是針對具有有效期限的用途，

expiration dates, like drug delivery, cosmetics,

像是藥物遞送、化妝品

and processed foods.

以及加工食品。