[Rockhounds] WAS Rockhounds Digest, Vol 64, Issue 28 NOW even headless removing gel.

[Gene Hartstein - Fossilnut.com]

Let me know if boiling water works. When forming the gel by reacting with 
acid you will get a mixture of gel and colloidal silica. The colloidal 
silica is not soluble. The gel may be.
If this does not work, I know someone who surely knows. I can contact him.


Gene

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Axel Emmermann" <axel.emmermann at pandora.be>
To: "'Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors'" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 2:18 PM
Subject: RE: [Rockhounds] WAS Rockhounds Digest, Vol 64,Issue 28 NOW even 
headless removing gel.


>> I have no idea if this fellow knows what he is talking about but he says
>> concentrated base or HF.
>>
>> <http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080216025809AAqYvvi>
>>
>> I was think base but was going to suggest trying a weak solution like
>> household ammonia which I think may be 3%
>
> [Axel] I know that the stock solutions from which you make the gel need to
> be pH-neutral when mixed.  Also for the sake of the crystals that you want
> to grow. If you grow calcite from NH4CO3 and CaCl2, you have to be very
> careful to flush the gel regularly because the resulting NH4Cl is slightly
> acidic. If the pH drops below 6 you risk making more aragonite than 
> calcite.
>
>
>> So you might need 10M KOH or something like that.
>
> [Axel] Yes but that would attackt the glass of the test tube too, 
> rendering
> it opaque.
>
> HF is obviously out of the
>> question.
>
> [Axel] HF being a potent nerve agent... hm, yes... I think I'll pass ;-)))
>
> Thanks Bryan
>
> Cheers
> Axel
>
>
> -- 
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