Cultivation of crystals from salt in house conditions is a unique opportunity to observe process of origin of the similar phenomena in the nature and also chance to receive very unusual and surprisingly beautiful hand-made article. Process is absolutely safe, does not demand profound knowledge in the field of chemistry, does not provide use of chemical reactants and can be carried out not only by the adult, but also the child.
Instruction
1. To grow up a salt crystal of the house, you should prepare the necessary equipment, materials and tools. 1) The main component is salt. The it is purer, the result of an experiment will be more successful, and the more accurate crystal sides will turn out. Considering that table salt in most cases contains a large amount of small garbage, it is better to give preference to sea salt without dyes and various additives. 2) Water it is also more correct to take that which is most cleaned from various impurity, i.e. distilled. If that near at hand it did not appear, previously filter usual water. 3) For cultivation of crystals use carefully washed up nonmetallic capacity which will not be oxidized under the influence of salts. It is better to take glasswares. If in a bowl nevertheless there are even smallest motes, they by all means will slow down growth of the main crystal, having turned into a peculiar basis for development of small copies. 4) Any other object, for example, the wire, a thread, a branch piece can become a basis for future big crystal both small kristallik to salt, and. 5) Also will be useful when forming a crystal from salt a wooden stick for solution stirring, tissues, filter paper or a gauze, varnish for a covering of a ready salt crystal.
2. Prepare materials and tools, necessary for cultivation of a crystal, stock up with patience and get to work. Process will not demand from you special participation. In a glass cup prepare saturated salt solution from 100 ml of hot water and 40 g of salt, let's liquid cool down and miss it through the filtered paper or the gauze curtailed into several layers.
3. The next stage – the room of a subject around which the crystal, in the container with hydrochloric solution will be created subsequently. If you want to receive a copy of a traditional form, put a usual grain of salt on a cup bottom. If you wish to grow up the extended crystal, tie a salt grain to a thread and fix it in capacity so that it did not concern its bottom and walls. If in your plans receiving a difficult design of a bizzare shape, the small curved branch or the twisted wire has to form a basis for future crystal. As a basis for a crystal it is possible to use any subject which is not subject to oxidation of salts.
4. Surely cover a cup with a crystal, the sheet of paper or a napkin for an exception of hit in it of garbage and dust. Further send capacity for storage to the dark cool place without drafts and provide it full tranquility. Throughout development of a crystal do not allow change of humidity of air and sharp jumps of temperature indoors where it is, exclude its stirring and too frequent movements. Do not place a crystal near heating devices and near the stove.
5. In process of growth of a crystal the salt content in the liquid surrounding it will decrease. Considering it, once a week add saturated hydrochloric solution to capacity. When the crystal grows to the necessary sizes, accurately take out it from liquid, lay out on a clean tissue and carefully get wet with soft fabric. In order that the fragile crystal developed a certain strength, cover it with colourless manicure varnish. If not to make it, the hand-made article will collapse. In dehydrated air medium the crystal will be scattered in powder, at the increased humidity of air will turn into gruel.
6. From table and sea salt crystals of white color turn out. You can receive a hand-made article of other shade by means of several simple ways.1) the Color salt crystal can be received if to use not usual salt, and for example, copper vitriol which can allocate result of your works in the saturated blue color.2) Instead of transparent nail varnish for processing of a crystal you can use a color covering.3) At a stage of preparation of a crystal add to hydrochloric solution food colorings, for example, for coloring of Easter eggs.
7. If you noticed that the crystal gets not that form what was planned, accurately scratch out excess sites by means of a sharp knife or a manicure nail file. In a consequence process those places of a crystal which growth you would not like to allow glycerin or any other dense fat structure. It is possible to remove the put means by means of alcohol or acetone.
8. It is possible to fail in cultivation of a crystal from salt for several reasons. First, the piece of salt taken as a basis can be dissolved. About it insufficiently saturated hydrochloric solution which you used for growth of a hand-made article, as a rule, signals. Secondly, instead of one big crystal you can receive several small at once. It can happen because of existence in solution of foreign impurity or hit in it of motes, parts of dust and other undesirable objects. Thirdly, when receiving color copies the coloring of ready crystals can be uneven. The main reason for such reaction – insufficiently thorough stirring of dye after its addition in hydrochloric solution.
9. In the slightest degree the crystal, decent in size, will be created not earlier than in 3-4 weeks after the placing of its basis in salt solution therefore have patience and do not forget to implement the main recommendations about independent cultivation of crystals from salt in house conditions.