When they added a few small drops of sunflower oil to the
powder samples, they observed the liquid fat moving
through pores and tiny spaces in the chocolate very quickly, most likely as a result of capillary action — the movement of a liquid within porous material due to the forces of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension.
Through sample analysis, Cahill first discovered that 21 percent of the initial dust cloud contained finely
powdered, highly caustic cement — thought to be responsible for the «9/11 cough.»