[Rockhounds] More fun with NaCO3 crystals...

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

You may get better results if you make your saturated solution in one 
container, with some excess, and pour most of the saturated solution 
into a second container, before adding your seed crystal.

Kreigh



On Friday, Jul 4, 2008, at 08:09 America/Detroit, jbacko wrote:

> Brett Allen Johnson wrote:
>> 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?
>>
>>
> The main things to do are:
>
>    1. Use a very clean glass jar (like a mayonnaise or Ball canning 
> jar).
>
>    2. Use clean and soft water; distilled water is easily available.
>
>    3, Saturate your solution with a moderately warm but not hot 
> temperature (~150-160 F.) It doesn't hurt to boil the solution but 
> that tends to put  too much material in solution and make it a bit 
> unstable for large xtal growth. Make certain that ALL of the material 
> is dissolved.
>
>    4. Cover the solution such that evaporation can take place but NO 
> dust particles can get into the jar.
>
>    5. Put the jar in a dark, quiet place and let it sit until it does 
> it's thing. Don't be in too much of a hurry to find out what is going 
> on; any disturbance will cause rapid growth of small crystals. This 
> may occur despite your best efforts.
>
>     6. After a week or two, you should have some nice crystals. Try it 
> first with copper sulfate as it is very easy to grow into large 
> crystals. Then repeat the operation using one of the larger crystals 
> as a seed, It has to be large enough to not completely dissolve in the 
> warm water solution. Be absolutely certain that all of the  material 
> except your seed is in solution. After a few days you should have one 
> (or a few) large xtal(s).
>
>    7. Your results will vary according to the materials and 
> conditions. If you live next to a railroad or airport, for instance, 
> you are probably going to get a lot of periodic vibration, which is 
> not good.
>
>    8. Copper Sulfate is available at place like pool or septic 
> suppliers as it is used as an algaecide. Sometimes one can find 
> relatively pure iron sulfate as a soil conditioner. Epsom salts is at 
> the pharmacy (and sometimes small quantities of U.S.P. copper 
> sulfate). Nitrates can be found in quick-dissolving fertilizers, but 
> they are usually too mixed up and of too poor a quality to be of much 
> use. Nonetheless, one can "refine" them by successive evaporation and 
> fractional separation. Nickel Sulfate will have to come from a 
> chemical supply house as far as I know. Sodium Thiosulfate used to be 
> commonly available as a photographic fixer, but silver-based 
> photography is rapidly disappearing and it may be tough to find. It 
> can be grown as relatively large crystals if the solution is not too 
> hot or too strong to begin with; once it supersaturates, any shock 
> will crystallize the whole mass as fine crystals (as mentioned above). 
> Washing Soda, Bicarbonate of Soda, and Borax are all at your local 
> supermarket. Washing Soda does not work well with seed crystals; 
> usually one gets a mass of relatively large interlocking "stepped" 
> crystals no matter what one does. Agricultural sulfur can be dissolved 
> in something like toluene and crystallized, but it is not an operation 
> for the careless or foolhardy.
>
>    9. Sources? When I was young, we could write away to all the 
> advertisers in Chemical and Engineering News for samples; I filled up 
> a whole basement lab that way. I don't think that is allowed anymore.  
> Nuts!  I guess your local high-school or college chemistry teacher is 
> as good a source of info on where to get things as any.
>
>    10. Have fun. Crystals are neat! (At least Nature thinks so.)
>
>
>
> john
> -- 
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