Pictures of your element samples and chemicals

[Gilded]

While we've had a lab picture thread and some threads regarding element collecting I thought it might be cool to have a thread dedicated to just pictures of neat looking element samples and chemicals you have lying around your house/lab. Crystals, powders, gases, liquids... everything goes. Emphasis on samples you think look especially cool.

 

I have a decent element collection but since I've gotten a new camera I haven't photographed all samples. I'll take more pictures later but here's what I've photographed so far:

[DrP]

What's with the Bismuth? Does it always form crystal like platelets like that? Looks very nice.

[Gilded]

What's with the Bismuth? Does it always form crystal like platelets like that? Looks very nice.

 

It does to some extent, but the crystals are only visible if you sort of expose them by pouring out the excess liquid metal when the bismuth starts to solidify. Instructions on how to do it can be found here: http://www.unitednuclear.com/crystals.htm

[Oddball]

I don't have pictures of most of my elements, but here's one my favorites:

 

Ti Crystal Bar 5N (iodide/van Arkel - de Boer process)

 

[jdurg]

With a basically complete collection, it's difficult for me to post them all, but here's an image of the un-ampouled potassium metal I have under simple mineral oil. Hopefully it will show up here as it's an image I have uploaded to wikipedia. There are a multitude of different oxides on here with the standard gray/white potassium oxide, the yellow orange peroxides, various superoxides, and I have no idea what the red stuff is. The only red potassium compound I know of is potasium ozonide and I'm not really sure if that is what the red stuff is. I would love to get it analyzed to find out exactly what the red crystals are, but don't know who or where to go to in order to get that analysis.

 

[Oddball]

...The only red potassium compound I know of is potasium ozonide and I'm not really sure if that is what the red stuff is.

 

I think Potassium ferricyanide is red. I only remember because it was mentioned in a metallurgy class I took in regards to tempering steel.

 

Probably not relevant to what you have, but...

[Gilded]

Looks pretty eerie and organic. I like it.

[jdurg]

I'd be pretty shocked if it was Potassium Ferricyanide as the mineral oil it's in is pretty pure and would have to have some really odd contaminants to form that compound. Regardless, I treat it with a LOT of respect and have not opened the container since the K went in there.

[Robin Hood]

This is a sweet (and very large) sample of caesium we used to make a film about the elements!

 

[Alexein]

With a basically complete collection, it's difficult for me to post them all, but here's an image of the un-ampouled potassium metal I have under simple mineral oil. Hopefully it will show up here as it's an image I have uploaded to wikipedia. There are a multitude of different oxides on here with the standard gray/white potassium oxide, the yellow orange peroxides, various superoxides, and I have no idea what the red stuff is. The only red potassium compound I know of is potasium ozonide and I'm not really sure if that is what the red stuff is. I would love to get it analyzed to find out exactly what the red crystals are, but don't know who or where to go to in order to get that analysis.

 

 

 

 

O_o

 

DUDE!!!! THATS THE UNSTABLE FORM OF POTASSIUM PEROXIDE/SUPEROXIDE!!!!

 

I've encountered it before. It forms from the oxygen in the air dissolving the in the oil and growing onto the potassium. Unlike sodium where the oxide layer protects the metal from further attack, potasium oxides are like rust... they just keep on growing.

 

It looks like a small layer so you're ok.... but as it keeps growing it becomes highly unstable. People have died because they stored potassium samples for years and came back layer to find a purple mass... when they picked up the jar...

 

 

GET RID OF THAT SAMPLE ASAP!!!

 

I know i sound like i'm flaming but i'm not joking, here's the citation

 

Journal of Chemical Health and Safety

Volume 14, Issue 2, March-April 2007, Pages 21-32

 

"Review of the safety of potassium and potassium oxides, including deactivation by introduction into water"

Edited November 5, 2008 by Alexein

[hermanntrude]

superoxides and peroxides of potassium can be shock sensitive explosives. That's why I plan to throw my 5g of potassium into some water outdoors after ive had it for a year

[nitric]

thats why im not going to get some, im going for the safer altenative sodium. still works for most applications, and has no peroxide/superoxide layer to worry about(at least not an unstable one)

[hermanntrude]

it's ok but i think it needs to be kept in the dark and only for about a year. so get small quantities and have fun once a year :0)