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crystal grower
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Chemicals for crystal growing
Hi,
I am addicted to growing crystals  and I think that I'm not only one in this
forum  .
I have tried growing crystals of almost anything I had at home but I know that there is much more chemicals that can be trasformed into
breathtaking structures - that's why I have created this topic I'd like to make Ultimate list of chemicals that can be used for this purpose (it's
boring to browse tons of pages talking just about blue vitriol ,candy rocks etc.)
My Crystals:
1) Iron(II) Sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4.(7H2O))
2) Copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.(5H2O))
3) Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate (ZnSO4.(7H2O)
4) Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
5) Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl)
6) Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
NOTE: this one isnt manmade its rock Salt to be Exact.
7) Potassium Chloride (KCl)
8) Potassium sulfate (K2SO4)
9) Sodium tetraborate decahydrate or simply Borax (Na2B4O7·10H2O)
10)  Diamond (I´m not joking it´s real diamond from grinding wheel under microscope )
11) Bismuth (Bi)
-my favourite
12) Tin (Sn)
That´s not all of course I will add more pics later and I want to ask anyone interested for help.
Thanks!
[Edited on 6-1-2016 by crystal grower]
[Edit] Removed image hosting advertisements
[Edited on 1-14-2016 by zts16]
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Praxichys
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The alums are a great place to start. They have great solubility curves and the crystals can be quite large.
An "alum" is an aluminum sulfate complex. Potassium alum, KAl(SO4)2·12H2O, is a good place to start.
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crystal grower
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Quote: Originally posted by Praxichys  | The alums are a great place to start. They have great solubility curves and the crystals can be quite large.
An "alum" is an aluminum sulfate complex. Potassium alum, KAl(SO4)2·12H2O, is a good place to start. |
Yes you are right.
I have just made potassium alum solution today. If you have some pretty crystals ready, please post them.
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diddi
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you can substitute many other ions in for the Al3+ and get some crazy nice crystals eg Cr, V etc
Beginning construction of periodic table display
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Velzee
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Does anyone know how to form large crystals of Cheverul's salt(or what it can be dissolved in)?
Check out the ScienceMadness Wiki: http://www.sciencemadness.org/smwiki/index.php/Main_Page
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
—Arthur Schopenhauer
"¡Vivá Cristo Rey!"
—Saint José Sánchez del Río |
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DraconicAcid
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I got some nice crystals of ammonium magnesium sulphate by mixing ammonium sulphate with Epsom salts.
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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Texium
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| Quote: Originally posted by diddi | | you can substitute many other ions in for the Al3+ and get some crazy nice crystals eg Cr, V etc |
Vanadium
alums, you say? Interesting, I'll have to try that. Do you know if they're air stable? V<sup>3+</sup> can be a bit finicky with oxidation.
Another double salt that forms cool crystals is potassium antimony tartrate. I started a thread about it a while back. I should try recrystallizing some for larger crystals sometime.
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crystal grower
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Im going to grow sulfur crystals from toluene solution.
What do you think is the best technique?
Cooling the heated solution or slow vaporisation of the toluene ??
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diddi
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use xylenes instead.... very slow cooling works well. you get long crystals. if you seed it you can get the diamond shaped crystals
Beginning construction of periodic table display
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j_sum1
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Definitely cooling.
I suppose you could pull the toluene off with a vacuum. But the solubility is so temperature dependent that mere cooling makes them grow easily.
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diddi
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did you do anything special to make the ZnSO4 and FeSO4 ?
Beginning construction of periodic table display
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crystal grower
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Sorry but i dont undersatand your question.
Did u mean how I made my compounds ??
I have znso4 bottle for years (I really dont know if I bought it or what ) but u can
get it by zn+h2so4 reaction.
And I made my feso4 from pure99.99% electrolytic iron and diluted feso4.
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crystal grower
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| Quote: Originally posted by diddi | | use xylenes instead.... very slow cooling works well. you get long crystals. if you seed it you can get the diamond shaped crystals
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Thanks for answer.
Btw. why do u think the xylene is better ??
[Edited on 7-1-2016 by crystal grower]
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Eddygp
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In organic chem, benzil actually has some rather nice crystals. Same for benzhydrol. However, organic crystals are quite complicated to grow
satisfactorily compared to, say, CuSO4·5H2O or other inorganic ones. However, they can be beautiful in their own needly way.
Pro: benzil is yellow and not too difficult to grow for an organic crystal if you keep an eye on the temperature.
X-ray crystallography is a great way to justify your needs for beautiful single-crystal growth.
[Edited on 7-1-2016 by Eddygp]
there may be bugs in gfind
[ˌɛdidʒiˈpiː] IPA pronunciation for my Username |
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DraconicAcid
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If anyone grows crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction, I can get the structures done for a reasonable price.
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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diddi
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did you do anything special to grow the crystals?
xylenes allow about double the amount of sulphur to be dissolved per litre.
Beginning construction of periodic table display
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unionised
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| Quote: Originally posted by diddi | | you can substitute many other ions in for the Al3+ and get some crazy nice crystals eg Cr, V etc |
There are two neat tricks you can do with alums. One is to make mixed crystals (for example nice violet mixtures of chrome and aluminium alums.
The other is to grow different layers on top of eachother. If I remember I will try to find/ take some pictures.
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DraconicAcid
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Ammonium magnesium sulphate is similar- you can dope the crystals with other divalent cations (nickel works really well) to get nicely coloured
crystals.
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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crystal grower
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| Quote: Originally posted by diddi | did you do anything special to grow the crystals?
xylenes allow about double the amount of sulphur to be dissolved per litre. |
Every chemical is different but in general the purity of each chemical is crucial . temperature also affect the shape of the crystals.
But frankly I dont have equipment I'd wish to have , so I must improvise from time
to time.
[Edited on 7-1-2016 by crystal grower]
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Whatknot
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I too have also grown crystals, mainly from aqueous solutions, and have had both good and bad results.
On the good side, sodium ferrocyanide is relatively easy, inexpensive, and aside from the name, relatively non-toxic. Just do not add strong acids!
The crystals are a golden yellow, really sharp to look at.
On the bad side, my crystal growing experience revealed to me that ambient temperatures can make or break a growing crystal... I was doing the "hang a
seed crystal in a jar of solution" method with alum, and after a few days I had a beautiful, 2cm clear octahedron... only to partially re-dissolve the
next day after the temperature went up.
A controlled environment would be helpful.
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crystal grower
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whatknot | I too have also grown crystals, mainly from aqueous solutions, and have had both good and bad results.
On the good side, sodium ferrocyanide is relatively easy, inexpensive, and aside from the name, relatively non-toxic. Just do not add strong acids!
The crystals are a golden yellow, really sharp to look at.
On the bad side, my crystal growing experience revealed to me that ambient temperatures can make or break a growing crystal... I was doing the "hang a
seed crystal in a jar of solution" method with alum, and after a few days I had a beautiful, 2cm clear octahedron... only to partially re-dissolve the
next day after the temperature went up.
A controlled environment would be helpful. |
Thats really dissapointing man.
Good luck fenceforth  .
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Velzee
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Chevreul's salt, anyone? xD
By the way; those are some beautiful photos!
[Edited on 1/10/2016 by Velzee]
[Edited on 1/10/2016 by Velzee]
Check out the ScienceMadness Wiki: http://www.sciencemadness.org/smwiki/index.php/Main_Page
"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
—Arthur Schopenhauer
"¡Vivá Cristo Rey!"
—Saint José Sánchez del Río |
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crystal grower
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| Quote: Originally posted by Velzee | Chevreul's salt, anyone? xD
By the way; those are some beautiful photos!
[Edited on 1/10/2016 by Velzee]
[Edited on 1/10/2016 by Velzee] |
Chevreul's salt is almost top secret u cant even find it on wikipedia.
I'd like to growCu3(SO3)2 crystals too but i dont have sodium metabisulfite to prepare chevrls salt.
Do you know where could I buy it ??
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DraconicAcid
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Any stores around that sell wine- or beer- making equipment?
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crystal grower
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Oh , what a shame, my dad used to make vine at one time.
I must ask him about it.
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