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Author: Subject: Chemicals for crystal growing
nezza
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[*] posted on 26-1-2016 at 00:57
Praseodymium sulphate


This is a small crystal of praseodymium sulphate (About 7-8mm long). It appeared slowly (several months) in a solution of the sulphate I made some time ago.

Paseodymium sulphate.jpg - 149kB




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[*] posted on 26-1-2016 at 03:14


Quote: Originally posted by nezza  
This is a small crystal of praseodymium sulphate (About 7-8mm long). It appeared slowly (several months) in a solution of the sulphate I made some time ago.


Really nice. Thanks for posting it here.




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[*] posted on 26-1-2016 at 13:52


Quote: Originally posted by nezza  
... small crystal of praseodymium sulphate ...

Biggest i've ever seen !

Could you please post the process by which you arrived at that crystal nezza ?




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The Volatile Chemist
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[*] posted on 28-1-2016 at 08:46


Quote: Originally posted by crystal grower  
Have anyone experience with growing crystals in gel?
I'd be very thankful for any information.

I've done this, one must add an organic acid (weak acetic) to a solution containing one reactant and Silica gel. When this hardens, add the second reactant on top and allow to sit until crystallization occurs. One of the products must be less water-soluble than the reactants to crystallize. Done this w/ copper, lead, Copper(II) hydrogen phthalate, and PbI.

Quote: Originally posted by crystal grower  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
Sodium citrate grows awesome crystals, sort-of hemispherical clusters. Also, Copper(II) Phthalate grows nice deep-blue needle-like crystals, but I haven't gotten them to grow very large. I got Barium potassium ferrocyanide to grow in granular-size crystals, which were not reported in any of the books I've found online. They indicate that needle-like rhombohedra form.

Could you post some pics please?
Anyway thanks for interesting tips.

U2U me if you get a chance, I can tonight, but will probably forget if you don't.




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[*] posted on 28-1-2016 at 10:28


Thanks for answer.
Looking forward to the pics:).




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[*] posted on 28-1-2016 at 13:31


Na3Cit with some NaOH solution sort-of still around (on them). Except for this, they'd be 'dry' crystals.
These are broken up from their original size (as they formed). They're lying on a blue, transparent clip-board.

IMG_0016.JPG - 751kB




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[*] posted on 28-1-2016 at 17:06


I had a TA that grew a 30# crystal of CuSO4.5H2O in a bathtub. She shaved the dislocations off periodically. Made one big crystal.



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[*] posted on 29-1-2016 at 02:30


aga. I did not grow the praseodymium sulphate crystal deliberately. It crystallised out of a saturated solution of praseodymium sulphate I had made by dissolving the metal in dilute sulphuric acid. The solution had been standing for some months and presumably had evaporated somewhat.



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[*] posted on 29-1-2016 at 03:24


Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
Na3Cit with some NaOH solution sort-of still around (on them). Except for this, they'd be 'dry' crystals.
These are broken up from their original size (as they formed). They're lying on a blue, transparent clip-board.

Is that natural color of sodium citrate?:o
Its pity that NaOH was in excess.
Anyway nice crystals




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[*] posted on 31-1-2016 at 01:17
Sodium bisulfate


I had nothing to do yesterday so I decided to grow some new crystals to my collection.:D
NaHSO4.H2O crystals (prismatic crystals remind me my skoryle - second photo.)

nahso4.1h2o.JPG - 1.6MB Skoryl.JPG - 1.7MB
Btw. I've become "hazard to self" :P:D:P.

[Edited on 31-1-2016 by crystal grower]




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[*] posted on 3-2-2016 at 14:44


Oh, crystals! I am sorry in advance for picture-loaded post. So, here is a part of my humble collection.

Glucose-NaCl-water cocrystal, 2:1:1 molar ratio
DSC01688.JPG - 634kB

NH4Fe(SO4)2 12H2O and KAl(SO4)2 12H2O
compare-with-alumDSC01332.JPG - 518kB

K2Mg(SO4)2 6H2O
DSC01373.JPG - 762kB

(NH4)2Zn(SO4)2 6H2O
DSC01439.JPG - 530kB

K2SO4
DSC01397.JPG - 599kB

Potassium tris-oxalato aluminate. K3 [Al(C2O4)3]
DSC01544.JPG - 653kB

Rochelle salt
standing-overview-grey.jpg - 825kB

Urea - citric acid 1:1 cocrystal ("urea citrate")
DSC01634.JPG - 319kB

And few more :cool:
All of them grown using evaporation method, without any special equipment.
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[*] posted on 3-2-2016 at 15:43


I wouldn't be so humble about those. They are gorgeous!
I love the potassium tris-oxalato aluminate.




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[*] posted on 3-2-2016 at 15:44


@Dmishin Oh my—those are so wonderful! How did you make the compounds (not crystals) K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O and (NH4)2Zn(SO4)2*6H2O?



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[*] posted on 3-2-2016 at 16:19


Quote: Originally posted by Velzee  
@Dmishin Oh my—those are so wonderful! How did you make the compounds (not crystals) K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O and (NH4)2Zn(SO4)2*6H2O?


I imagine they'd be made the same way as I made (NH4)2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O. Mix ammonium sulphate and magnesium sulphate in a one-to-one mole ratio, and dissolve in a minimum of water. Allow to evaporate.

A similar method worked for (NH4)2Ni(SO4)2*6H2O but not (NH4)2Cu(SO4)2*6H2O




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[*] posted on 3-2-2016 at 16:26


Quote: Originally posted by crystal grower  
Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist  
Na3Cit with some NaOH solution sort-of still around (on them). Except for this, they'd be 'dry' crystals.
These are broken up from their original size (as they formed). They're lying on a blue, transparent clip-board.

Is that natural color of sodium citrate?:o
Its pity that NaOH was in excess.
Anyway nice crystals

Oh, no, sorry, they're sitting on a blue clipboard. They're a sort-of rocky milk-white.




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[*] posted on 4-2-2016 at 02:16


Quote: Originally posted by Velzee  
How did you make the compounds (not crystals) K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O and (NH4)2Zn(SO4)2*6H2O?

Mixing simple sulfates in stoichiometric proportions in aqueous solution, then crystallizing. But actually, since these double compounds are often less soluble than single salts, it is often enough to mix any salts, providing enough required ions.
I made a batch of K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O by mixing KCl and MgSO4 and evaporating, by the equation:

2KCl + 2Mg2SO4 + 6H2O -> K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O (s) + MgCl2 (aq)

I also make alum by mixing NH4NO3 (that's crazy, but it is the most obtainable source of ammonium ions for me) and Al2(SO4)3.
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[*] posted on 4-2-2016 at 02:29


Quote: Originally posted by DraconicAcid  

A similar method worked ... not (NH4)2Cu(SO4)2*6H2O


I wonder why. I tried this in mini-test (few ml of solution), and observed light-blue tabular crystals, clearly different from the pure CuSO4*5H2O.
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[*] posted on 4-2-2016 at 04:28


Quote: Originally posted by Dmishin  
Oh, crystals! I am sorry in advance for picture-loaded post. So, here is a part of my humble collection.

Glucose-NaCl-water cocrystal, 2:1:1 molar ratio


NH4Fe(SO4)2 12H2O and KAl(SO4)2 12H2O


K2Mg(SO4)2 6H2O


(NH4)2Zn(SO4)2 6H2O


K2SO4


Potassium tris-oxalato aluminate. K3 [Al(C2O4)3]


Rochelle salt


Urea - citric acid 1:1 cocrystal ("urea citrate")


And few more :cool:
All of them grown using evaporation method, without any special equipment.

They are awesome !
I must try the rochelle salt too.




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[*] posted on 4-2-2016 at 11:56


Quote: Originally posted by Dmishin  
Quote: Originally posted by DraconicAcid  

A similar method worked ... not (NH4)2Cu(SO4)2*6H2O


I wonder why. I tried this in mini-test (few ml of solution), and observed light-blue tabular crystals, clearly different from the pure CuSO4*5H2O.

I got more clusters of crystals than observable single crystals. I'll try again.




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[*] posted on 5-2-2016 at 09:15


@Dmishin, I attempted to make K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O, as per your method of adding the reactants in stoichiometric amounts(~33 grams of MgSO4*7H2O dissolved into ~100mL of hot distilled water, and 10 grams of KCl dissolved into ~50mL of hot distilled water) into a suitable container, and then boiling the solution down, then allowing it to evaporate. The crystals that formed were a bit uneven, but, nevertheless, beautiful:

https://i.imgur.com/BAySBci.jpg

As you can see, the crystals do not look like the ones you posted. Whether or not they are K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O, I'm not sure. I have many more crystals of similar size; I'm in the process of coating them with clear nail polish in order to protect them.

[Edited on 2/5/2016 by Velzee]

[Edited on 2/5/2016 by Velzee]




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[*] posted on 5-2-2016 at 10:34


Quote: Originally posted by Velzee  

As you can see, the crystals do not look like the ones you posted. Whether or not they are K2Mg(SO4)2*6H2O, I'm not sure.

I see the opposite: the crystal at the top definitely look the same. Look, I drew similar edges with red.
compare.png - 86kB
The difference is because your was grown quickly on the bottom of the vessel, and mine were grown slowly, suspended on a thread in the middle of solution and have all edges fully developed.

Quote: Originally posted by Velzee  

I'm in the process of coating them with clear nail polish in order to protect them.

I think, this compound is not prone to dehydration, so covering is not required.

Of the above specimens, only ferric alum and potassium oxalato aluminate require protection (I store them in a tightly closed container though). Others are stored on air and haven't changed in months.
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[*] posted on 6-2-2016 at 15:51


How do you suspend a small crystal on a thread? I mean, I always had the impression that the thread , the knot, the touching surfaces will cause growth errors and anything but malformed crystals would result. It is apparently not the case but I don't know why?
Anyone knows the answer?

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[*] posted on 6-2-2016 at 23:33


Quote: Originally posted by Pumukli  
How do you suspend a small crystal on a thread? I mean, I always had the impression that the thread , the knot, the touching surfaces will cause growth errors and anything but malformed crystals would result. It is apparently not the case but I don't know why?
Anyone knows the answer?


Try to heat the solution a little and add the salt to make it saturated.
Then put inside the thread ( I prefer nylon ) and let it slowly cool down.
When the solution is already cooled, there should be small crystals attached on the thread. The best looking crystal of them should be used for crystal growing while the rest of the crystals must be removed.
The goal of this procedure is a seed crystal attached on the thread without need of tying it .
I hope this will help you ;).




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[*] posted on 7-2-2016 at 06:44


@Pumukli
I usually just tie them. With some luck, if the thread is thin and smooth enough, it forms no additional crystallization centers, and knot submerges seamlessly into the growing seed. Method described by crystal grower (waiting until appropriate seeds naturally appear on a thread) also works and gives even better results, but is a bit unpredictable.

I photographed my process of attaching seed (of glucose-NaCl cocrystal) for a reddit thread, take a look: http://imgur.com/a/3h2Gf

At the moment, seed on the last photo doubled in size, and the knot is inside.
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[*] posted on 8-2-2016 at 09:09


This one is NaHSO4.10H2O crystal made by cooling the solution.
I u want simply and quickly made crystals I could only recommend this one. Only but quite serious con is that this stuff is very hygroscopic and can be easily dehydratated.

P2062395.JPG - 1.5MBP2062398.JPG - 1.5MB




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