[Rockhounds] More fun with NaCO3 crystals...

[Brett Allen Johnson]

jbacko, so what you are saying is to make a super saturated solution of NaCO3+H2O and let evaporate to grow well formed crystals? Is this like growing epsom crystals? I will give it a go and report back after I get some success. Thanks, Brett
ps. Do you have any other mixture/growing tips you would like to share with the Group?


jbacko worte:

Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda) readily makes lots of "stepped"  
crystals from ordinary evaporation of saturated solutions.  They will 
cover the bottom of the jar easily and can be broken out if desired. 
However, they will not last in open air as they dessicate and turn again 
into a white powder.  The same thing happens to copper sulfate, iron 
sulfate and sodium bicarbonate.  Bicarbonate is harder to make into 
large crystals.

But it is relatively easy to make the crystals; they just will not be 
stable. Borax will do the same thing, but more slowly.

Potassium permanganate makes nice monoclinic crystals.

The usual "stalactites" are made by growing silicates from sodium 
silicate (Water Glass) and coloring them with seed crystals of various 
kinds.
Copper makes blue, nickel green, zinc creamy-white,  etc.

 john

 


      

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