Hydrophobic Sand aka "Magic Sand"

I’ve never heard of this before maybe I should have done chem in High School.
Apparently Magic Sand was originally developed to trap ocean oil spills near the shore. This would be done by sprinkling Magic Sand on floating petroleum, which would then mix with the oil and make it heavy enough to sink. However, due to the expense of production, it is not being used for this purpose.

It has also been tested by utility companies in the Arctic areas as a foundation for junction boxes, as it never freezes.

It can be also used as an aerating medium for potted plants.

Due to its water repellence, grains of the sand will adhere to each other in the presence of water. When sprinkling grains onto the surface of water, they will at first form a "sand raft," until the weight of the agglomerate is large enough to break the surface tension. The mass will then sink to the bottom as a single object. When immersed, the sand forms columns in order to reduce the surface area in contact with water. As soon as the sand is taken out of water, it is completely dry and flows freely.

via [wikipedia]