Growing Salt crystals

[aommaster]

If i wanted to grow salt crystals to their original shape (Cuboid, i think), how would i actually do it. I know the basics, like make a saturated solution, but how should i grow the seed crytal and how to obtain it

 

Thanx

[YT2095]

ok, this may seem like an ODD question, but WHAT salt do you wish to grow?

there are literaly 1000`s of salts

[YT2095]

as an after thought... Copper sulphate is particularly nice and grows huge blue crystals with little to no effort at all!

 

Magnesium Sulphate is also good in the respect of easy growth (but lacks the color)

 

household salt Sodium Chloride is ok(ish) but takes a long time and lacks color.

 

thats just a few, but it`s really your choice, some are easier to grow than others though!

take yer pick )

[aommaster]

i need something that i can grow at home

[YT2095]

any of the above you could quite happily grow at home

 

goto your local chemists and ask for Epsom Salts (magnesium Sulphate) they`re pretty fast growing and make some great looking crystals, quite large too!

 

you`de need a perfectly clean glass (heat proof) empty the majority of the contents of your epsom salts into it and add Boiling water bit at a time, keep stirring untill no more will dissolve, then keep adding a little more water until they JUST vanish (if you go a bit over the top, add a little more salt that you kept back).

then put a tinfoil cover over it and pop a hole in the top with a pencil, then put your glass somewhere safe and warm (ontop of a storage heater is what I use). then just forget about it for a week or 2, you`ll have HUGE crystals form and no crystal "skin" form on the top, because the tiny hole will only allow so much water vapor out at a time. it is important NOT to move it during the process, it can corrupt the formations.

 

Enjoy

[aommaster]

Is it possible to grow copper sulphate? And how?

Are there any hazards for magnesium sulphate?

[YT2095]

magnesium sulphate is harmless (in fact its about as dangerous as the salt you put on your food!)

 

for copper sulphate (poisonous but unlikely as it tastes like crap).

you`ll need the acid from an old car battery and some copper pipe off cuts (from an old plumbing job or something).

empty the acid into a plastic bowl, put in your 2 copper pipes (make sure they don`t touch) and connect them to a car battery charger, it`ll FIZ a little, just leave it for a day until the acid turns blue (copper sulphate).

filter it, then allow it to evaporate, the blue crystals will be your copper sulphate

then pick them out and use the above method for large crystal making

 

(I`ve had them the size of golf balls!)

[aommaster]

oh ok

ill try the magnesium ones then

thanx

[YT2095]

cool, Regular house salt (used on food) works ok too as does Sugar, but they`re a bit trickier at times.

Have Phun

[aommaster]

thanx

 

i will

 

One more question, i tried this experiment in advance, when there is slightly more salt in the solution, the salt forms 'snowflakes' and floats above the water, how does that happen?

[YT2095]

the water at the top evaporates leaving a stronger concentration of salt and so it forms a "skin" type effect or snow flakes as you call it.

the tinfoil trick will help stop that somewhat

[aommaster]

oh ok. By the way, how can i get a slat seed crystal, their sooo TINY

[YT2095]

easy, grow one

 

the beauty of these crystals, is that you can just re-dissolve them and start again

so maybe your batch one will have a largish crystal you can take out, dry and use for a seed in batch #2

[aommaster]

and what job exactly does the seed crystal do??? Because i tried to put a thread in the solution, and the crystals grew all over the thread!!!

[YT2095]

it gives a "like" former onto which all other layers of the latice may form

[aommaster]

so, if i put a seed crystal, will any salt form on the thread???

[YT2095]

well I never use a thread myself personaly, it can malform the facets of the crystal, I find that using the method I mentioned with the saturated soln and dropping in a seed will work better, but for Magnesium sulphate you won`t need a seed at all, it just works lovely

for things like house salt or sugar, a seed is a good idea, skip the thread tho, you really don`t need it

[aommaster]

oh ok

Which ones grow big, are easy to obtain, and look good?

[YT2095]

MgSO4.7H2O grow well, beautifully large Orthorhomibic crystals

[aommaster]

what coulour are they and what on earth is orthorhobic, i know its rhombi but, whats orthorhombic?

[YT2095]

clear unless there are imperfections.

orthorhombic, Hmmm.. ever seen a perfect quartz crystal? they sell them in spooky shops and some wear them on chains as a pendant?

well thats orthorhombic

[aommaster]

yeah i know what quartz is,

 

i just dont know the technical names:)

 

ok, if there are impurities, what colour does it make it, does it change colour according to the teransition metal, like copper green and iron red

[YT2095]

it`ll go white from an impurity, it`ll be a PHYSICAL impurity tho (a fracture where air got in or something).

there should be no chemical impurities, it`ll deform the crystal else

[aommaster]

oh ok. So.... case closed and thanx ALOT

i really mean ALOT

 

keep the good work up

[YT2095]

that`s what we`re all here for

 

anyway, be right back, need to get the beer from the car