Make Bismuth Crystals

[prorsoft]

If you keep it around in an oxygen-rich environment, it will eventually tarnish and get those pretty colours.

[hkparker]

@prorsoft If pure bismuth yes, I found that I have a tin impurity that's preventing oxidation though.

[AVAMagneticlev]

Hint the slower it cools the longer the time is for the larger crystals to form.

Blowing is better than shaking.

[AVAMagneticlev]

Very good demo

? Where did you get your Bismuth from.

[MenacingPhantom]

When doing instructional videos 4 something so dangerous u MUST demonstrate safety procedures. It's the law! The fact you're not using gloves is highly irresponsible!

If people burn themselves as a result of watching this u could very well be held accountable! I'm a Health and Safety professional so I'd listen carefully. Remove this video, adopt safer techniques and then recreate your instructional video incorporating them if u don't wish 2 be civilly sued or charged with criminal negligence.

[hkparker]

@MenacingPhantom It is considered common safety procedure not to wear gloves when handling anything extremely hot such as molten metals. If one was burned while wearing gloves, the gloves would melt into their skin and worsen the injury. Gloves are intentionally not worn to prevent this, and should only be worn when working with toxic or corrosive chemicals.

[hubbabubbagloppop]

@MenacingPhantom got em!

[StevePelcz]

Is there any technique I can use so I dont end up with the bowl shape of the crucible? or is it only naturally formed ones that end up like that.

[hkparker]

@StevePelcz With this method it will most likely take the shape of the crucible, but you can use any shape crucible. Sometimes I got good results from crystals growing in the center as well. I suppose with nice equipment you could keep the walls just hot enough to melt the bismuth and have it crystallize from the center, and that would solve the problem.

[JesusHChrist2000]

You might be able to get color by annealing, or with an electric current as is done with titanium

[hkparker]

@JesusHChrist2000 The lack of color is due to tin contamination. With pure bismuth it would be colorful.

[Spion23]

Now what gives the crystals the iridescent (or rainbow) color

[Spion23]

@Spion23 never mind i should have just shut up till the end of the video but nice job!

[hkparker]

@Spion23 hah thank you! I updated the description because I have since learned the cause of the lack of color, tin contamination.

[AfantasyBabe1]

aaweesooome! you did great :D

[thegoblit]

how much bismuth did you buy from rotometals because I might buy 5 lbs of the stuff and not a single person bought 3+ pounds ever

[hkparker]

@thegoblit I bought a pound. But buy as much as you think you will need.

[Noobulaiter]

When it oxidizes is what causes the many colors of usually has I'm not sure but if you left the slag in in, it might turn out with those colors but I'm not any expert so I'm not completely sure that's the reason.

[PigsCanFly99]

try pouring into a bath of liquid gallium and allowing it to cool to say 100C and then pour the gallium-rich phase off (decant). Do not consider mercury as a cooling medium for two reasons: one it forms amalgam readily; promoting a wide freezing-range slush and two: mercury vapor as associated with heated mercury is super toxic - as we're all aware. Ytube for "mercury vapor". Kirk out! : )

[hkparker]

@PigsCanFly99 Thanks! That's a great idea, have you done it before?

[PigsCanFly99]

@hkparker No I haven't actually .. but I remember the lab instructor showed us a real "first-order" crystal agglomerate. It was mesmerizing. He mentioned in passing that it was poured into a metal medium. Pretty sure it was gallium .. superficially gallium would seem like the preferred substance. From a slow-cooling standpoint: Hg is the ultimate as quicksilver has the poorest thermal conductivity of all metals. FYI. All dire-warnings re: Hg vapor still in full effect.

[primeEmu16]

so the reason why its white is because its pure? Where can you get it so that its colored? Im a noob at this and any enlightenment in the matter is appreciated.

[hkparker]

@primeEmu16 No Idea why it is colorless but it is not due to purity, I suspect a tin impurity I might have accidentally added a long time ago. Pure bismuth will be colored. My favorite source of bismuth is rotometals, it is very pure too.

[primeEmu16]

@hkparker ah ty, that makes me rest easier lol.  I prefer the rainbow color.

[TheChiefinator117]

Great video. I tried it for the first time, a .85 kg piece of bismuth in a slab. Crystalisation wasn't successful but I managed to end up with large pieces of pure solidified bismuth. I will try again, thanks this video really gave me some good advice for producing a better result.

[phoenixflames44]

Hey hk, I finally got around to ordering that crucible. Check out the video

I responded with.

[hkparker]

@phoenixflames44 I will

[PissOutMyAssBarf]

I recommend sticking with just blowing on the molten bismuth because shaking the crucible can possibly lead to new crystals being seeded and forming instead of allowing bigger crystals to grow alone. Youre def doing good work though.

And throw some gloves on man! Ive seen molten bismuth randomly pop and spit metal out of the crucible while melting and while solidifying.

[hkparker]

@PissOutMyAssBarf thank you "PissOutMyAssBarf". Your right about the blowing on it, shaking it gently does risk that. My crystals come out ok but there is definitely room for improvement. I would through on gloves if I had something that could withstand the heat. I don't own any thermal gloves at the moment unfortunately and wearing nitrile gloves obviously wont help.

[Aranwu]

@hkparker

i'm not sure on how you can make bismuth crystallize out with multiple colors but i know they are from different layers of different oxides of bismuth that forms while it cools down exposed to air, i've done with several times and never got a silvery look

[zakamooza]

where can i find Bismuth? plz reply

[hkparker]

@zakamooza I bought mine at roto metals

[11ericg]

@zakamooza on ebay type in bismuth metal and i think you can get 50 grams for like 10 bucks or something

[phoenixflames44]

I got my metal today. It came as a chunk off a slab instead of an ingot. All I need now is a good crucible, any suggestions?

[hkparker]

@phoenixflames44 Legend Inc (legend-reno/dot/com) sells good stuff. The crucible you see me with is from there. Its the smallest fused silica one, I really like it! I also have a graphite one from them. Very robust and better for super high temperatures, but gets dirty easily.

[themassaker88]

Hey there,

I was wondering if it was possible to crystallize the bismuth on for example a metal rod that you dip into the molten bismuth. Like a crystal on a stick.

[hkparker]

@themassaker88 Im not sure, that would be pretty cool though!

[themassaker88]

@hkparker you should try that sometime - i'd do it myself but unfortunately i don't have any of the equipment where I live

[mewrox99]

what camera do u use. It gives a very nice picture

[hkparker]

@mewrox99 Kodak Zi8 pocket camera. Thanks, I think it does pretty well too.

[JesusHChrist2000]

You could try anodising to get the colour. It works for steel/ titanium/ silver etc. Should work for bismuth too.

[phoenixflames44]

I love your videos man! I've wanted to try this for a while and I think I will now because you seem to be having a fair amount of success.

[hkparker]

@phoenixflames44 Thanks! Let me know how it goes for you.

[coolliger]

if you heated the cruciable hotter before melting in the bismuth, do you think it would cool slower and give you bigger crystals?

[hkparker]

@coolliger Thats why I did that at 1:38

[TakronRust]

7:11 looks like a crashed Borg sphere. lol

[mrhomescientist]

Man that's crazy that you don't get the oxide layer. I've never seen that before, so to me it's more beautiful than with all the colors! I'll send you a message with my thoughts on this since they won't all fit here. I will mention though (in case anyone else reads this) that to get large single crystals you want to aim for slow cooling and avoid disturbing the melt as much as possible. I'm going to make a response video so we can compare our processes.

[mrericsully]

@mrhomescientist I'm not sure about your theories as to why their is no oxide layer, but it would seem to me that it is somehow being isolated or insulated from oxygen. It is possible that the CO2 from heating the crucible from above and any incompletely combusted gas from the MAPP torch could do this.

I've always heated it from below and most other procedures I've seen do the same.

I agree with slow cooling and leaving it undisturbed. Another way is let it all cool then etch with acid.

[hkparker]

@mrericsully That makes a lot of sense. I will try this again, but bow on the crystals as they dry to try to get some air moving. Maybe that will lead to come coloration.

[98JMA]

Brilliant!! Where did you get your crucible though??

[hkparker]

@98JMA Legend inc.

[asmathyder]

can u tell me about the process of extracting bismuth metal from its oxide

[hkparker]

@asmathyder Mix with stoichiometric amounts of aluminum powder to make a thermite. Thermite it and melt the product to remove slag.

[asmathyder]

@hkparker but the problem is that i cant get aluminium or any powdered element.....so will it work if i used coal....Bi2O3+C---->CO2+Bi ??

[hkparker]

@asmathyder I don't know, probably not

[DJFamou5]

Hi, why is your bismuth crystal not colored?

Please answer me, thanks.

[hkparker]

@DJFamou5 I have no idea.  I said this at 6:30

[Ralphgtx280]

those are some nice crystals did you make the ones at the begining of the video too ?

[hkparker]

@Ralphgtx280 yup. Those are my favorites from a while ago. The pictures at the end are of them.

[aeroscope]

Why is your name hkparker? are you related to Hong Kong? where i am from?

[applenerd106]

dude i so want to do this now

[Xyrosis]

I'm not sure which metal I like more. Bismuth or Gallium.

I think I shall make an alloy of them.

[hkparker]

@Xyrosis I wouldn't make a ton unless you expect it to be useful. Gallium is expensive and really useful, in case it becomes hard to separate the two and the alloy is useless you could regret it.

[spotlightman1234]

Lol. when i loaded this video up i expected to see bismuth crystals that were small and had not much detail but then you showed them and i was amazed! especially the lack of oxide layer on them! good job. also the new camera is a dramatic improvement!

[hkparker]

@spotlightman1234 Thank you very much!