Sciencemadness Discussion Board

crystallization dish and dust

vmelkon - 11-11-2012 at 17:18

How do you deal with dust?
For example, I have a salt solution that I leave in a dish and it can take multiple days to dry but there is always dust that lands on it.

I was thinking of making a box but I would need to somehow filter air and push air in.

Mailinmypocket - 11-11-2012 at 17:23

I usually just put a filter paper over the dish like a tent, works good!

Random - 11-11-2012 at 18:53

if we put a box with a hole from front and back, the air would be circulating faster, wouldn't it?

sort of like chimney, maybe it would dry faster? Never tried this

vmelkon - 12-11-2012 at 08:25

I'll try mailinmypocket's suggestion since it is simple. Thanks.

watson.fawkes - 12-11-2012 at 08:53

Quote: Originally posted by Random  
if we put a box with a hole from front and back, the air would be circulating faster, wouldn't it?
It's one of the methods that desiccators use. Putting a desiccant into a seal box is one way, but it's limited by the capacity of the desiccant charge. If you've got a particularly wet product, you can pump dry air through the cabinet. Heating the air, in addition, raises its water-retention capacity.

Mailinmypocket - 12-11-2012 at 09:52

A box with holes could expedite things, my method is slow but it works. Once I made a "clean air box" which might be even better if you want a little project. Basically take a box, and cut two holes. Cover one hole with a surgical mask (pharmacy- cheap) and tape it up nicely, and for the second hole mount a CPU fan so that it will suck air from the box, hence drawing clean air through the mask and therefore eliminating all dust. The box has to be well sealed for this to work though. A small plastic storage box might work better, the kind you find in dollar stores with snap on lids.

I used it for microbiology experiments with agar plates, but it would be effective for your needs as well, increased air flow without dust...

bfesser - 12-11-2012 at 12:49

Place a filter paper circle over the top.