How to make sand that produces sound in water

What is Osodani-sand？Red circles show the typical singing sand beaches in Japan. Singing beach in Japan are on a line,which proposed previous Japanese researcher for singing sand.

Fig1 Map of OsodaniFig.2 Microscopic Photograph of sand

On the line, we found singing sand in a clay like soil. Osodani(Yamagata Pref. in Japan) is located in the inland area. Fig.1 A geological map of Japan in the Pliocene epoch. Fig.2 shows Osodani sand

In the Pliocene epoch, here was a beach of Japan-sea. The soil include in clay is 99.8 % silica particles. Now the sand are used to a raw material for glass industry. How to recover the singing sand in the clay like soil?

Fig.3 Motion of sea water on a beach

Most strong washing action on a beach is in the surf zone: By the strong eddy motion at the surf zone, the sand particles are rubbed each other. The speed of rubbing is same as the speed (about 0.5 m/sec) of eddy flow in the sea water.

Fig.4 The washing machine of sand with electric power.

We realize above motion by using a machine that rotates the clay like soil in a bottle with water: The diameter of the bottle is 22 cm, rotation speed is 60 r.p.m., circumference speed is 2488 m/hr. If the rotator-washer runs continuously for 1000 hours, then the total “effective travel displacement” or moving length of sand would be approximately 2488 km. The effective travel distance experienced by the sand immersed in water would be equal to 6.78 mal of the River Shinano, longest in Japan, 367 km ( Mississippi 3780 km). Such continuous and gentle rubbing of silicon produces amorphous silica, which is soluble in water. After about 200 hours of washing and rotating, if the water is changed at regular interval, the turbidity of washed water change from dirty to milk-white, and show fluorescence. If we continue the washing and rotating for about 1000 hours, the sand developes acoustic properties like in the dry state. If we continue the washing and rotating for about 2000 hours, the sand can produce sound in water.

For save energy,we use a water mill in IIde town.

Reference:

1. Hashimoto,M.:Proc.Jap.Nat.Cong.App.Mech.,1951,p.361

2. Hashimoto,M.:Chigaku kenkyu(Japanese),Vol.19.No.2,39-45(1968)

3. Miwa,s.,Hidaka,J.,Shimosaka,A.:Kona(Powder Sience and Techinology in Japan),No.1,64-72(1983)

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