March 28, 2024, 07:56:08 AM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: aluminum oxide solution?  (Read 12690 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Scrystals

  • Guest
aluminum oxide solution?
« on: May 20, 2004, 01:30:19 PM »
I have been trying to find some information on growing crystals at home
without having access to a laboratory. The only information I found was
usually about growing alum crystals or salt and sugar crystals.
Several years ago I was watching a TV show documentation which showed an
inventor who had grown a large Ruby, basically at home in some kind of
a solution. Since I am not a chemist I was always wondering how he was able
to disolve the aluminum oxide, since aluminum oxide is not water soluble.

So my question is, if it is possible to create a saturated (or almost saturated) aluminum oxide solution with some type of acid or if there is any other way to
create an aluminum oxide solution.

I obviously want to use this solution (if this is possible) to grow corundum crystals.

Any information would be helpfull.

Thanx
« Last Edit: May 20, 2004, 01:33:03 PM by Scrystals »

Offline Donaldson Tan

  • Editor, New Asia Republic
  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3177
  • Mole Snacks: +261/-13
  • Gender: Male
    • New Asia Republic
Re:aluminum oxide solution?
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2004, 03:26:20 PM »
Aluminium Oxide is amphoteric. It can react with both base & acid.

Al2O3 + 2NaOH + 3H2O -> 2NaAl(OH)4

Al2O3 + 6HCl -> 2AlCl3 + 3H2O
"Say you're in a [chemical] plant and there's a snake on the floor. What are you going to do? Call a consultant? Get a meeting together to talk about which color is the snake? Employees should do one thing: walk over there and you step on the friggin� snake." - Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO of Glaxosmithkline, June 2006

Offline AWK

  • Retired Staff
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 7981
  • Mole Snacks: +555/-93
  • Gender: Male
Re:aluminum oxide solution?
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2004, 02:14:05 AM »
Al2O3 + 6HCl -> 2AlCl3 + 3H2O
Dissolution of alumina in acids is not so simple as this reaction. but, anyway, sallts of aluminium can be easily obtained.
I doubt if growing crystals of alumina from water solution is possible at all since Al3+ cation "like to be hydrated".
The only well known solvent for alumina is kriolite (Na3AlF6) but it works at about 800 C.

AWK

Sponsored Links