Ruby is a precious stone, a mineral that is not mined in its pure form in Russia due to the lack of deposits. But today we are not talking about its extraction, but about creating an artificial stone in a workshop. Is it possible? As it turned out, there are several ways of such "magic". And today the author of the YouTube channel will present his version Fire TVwho was able to create an artificial ruby using heat.
Read in the article
- 1 What is required to create an artificial ruby in a workshop
- 2 Preparation of the chemical mixture used to make ruby
- 3 How to warm up the composition to the desired temperature
- 3.1 The use of graphite in the manufacture of mineral
- 3.2 Why the result looks a little like a mineral and how to fix it
- 4 Gas melting
- 4.1 Adjusting molten particles to the desired state
- 5 What can happen in the end
- 6 Finally
What is required to create an artificial ruby in a workshop
Let's make a reservation right away that it is unlikely that it will be possible to create a crystal clear ruby, as we are used to seeing it on the shelves of jewelry stores. After all, a workshop is not a laboratory. However, the crystal obtained as a result of today's experiments is already similar to its natural counterpart. In addition, natural and artificial stone will not differ in composition.
To create a ruby, you need some chemical reagents: aluminum and chromium oxides. It is from these substances that the components of ruby can be distinguished, formed under the influence of the pressure of the earth's crust and high temperatures in nature. Let's try to use arc and gas welding as a source of high temperature.
Preparation of the chemical mixture used to make ruby
In order to make a ruby, it is necessary to mix the oxides of aluminum and chromium. In the composition of naturally occurring stones, the proportion of chromium is from 0.01 to 2%, so you will have to use an electronic balance.
Add chromium oxide powder to the suspended aluminum, after which the composition is mixed. Now it is necessary to expose the resulting composition to high temperatures, which means that the most interesting things will begin next.
How to warm up the composition to the desired temperature
There are several ways to warm up the composition to the desired temperature. The first thing to try is the welding arc. But a conventional electrode has insufficient temperature during combustion, which means it is better to try using a carbon element.
Before starting work, the copper sheath must be removed from the carbon electrode. There is nothing complicated about this, copper plating is quite easy to remove.
The use of graphite in the manufacture of mineral
The arc temperature is extremely high, so the only way to melt the resulting chemical mixture is it. First, pour a small amount of powder onto the graphite disc. Do not pour too much of it. Indeed, at this stage, only a sample of the melting option is made.
Further, the powder melts under the action of the welding arc. The use of gloves and a welding mask is mandatory here. Otherwise, you can get burns not only of the skin, but also of the cornea of the eyes.
The arc scatters the bulk of the powder, but some of it will still melt and give an idea of how the oxides interact when exposed to high temperature.
Why the result looks a little like a mineral and how to fix it
It is clear that it is difficult to call such balls a ruby, and there are certain reasons for this. The first is too high a temperature and rapid heating, which promotes foaming of the composition.
The second reason is too sharp cooling, which does not allow air bubbles to escape. This means that you need to try using a different method of melting.
Gas melting
The second way to maximize the temperature of the composition is with a gas cutter. Pour the powder onto the same graphite disk, after which we carefully begin to heat it up for the first time. This is not a quick process, so be patient.
The main problem with this will be that the powder will first fly apart. Therefore, it is impossible to open the feed to the cutter too much. Better to spend a little more time. The main thing here is to achieve the formation of at least a small amount of molten mass.
Adjusting molten particles to the desired state
When molten balls begin to appear on the graphite, they should be joined together by moving one to the other. This cannot be done with a conventional tool - the temperature is too high. Oddly enough, the simplest ceramic tweezers bought from a Chinese store can help here. The technologies for its manufacture are not known, but it keeps the temperature perfectly, heats up red-hot and does not melt, does not burst.
In the course of heating the mass obtained on graphite, it will decrease in size. This is due to the fact that air comes out of it. After prolonged heating, the burner can be turned off and the resulting stone can be left to cool. Just don't try to cool it down with water or a stream of air. This will lead to cracking of the crystal. The slower the cooling takes place, the better.
What can happen in the end
The experiment carried out today resulted in a crystal with a deep ruby color. Of course, it is very difficult to achieve perfect cleanliness, it will take much more time. However, even if there is a certain amount of air in the crystal, we can say that the experiment was a success and an artificial ruby was created in a workshop.
The stone looks especially beautiful in ultraviolet radiation. Pure ultraviolet light is not visible to the human eye, but the refraction of its rays in the resulting artificial ruby crystal gives a striking effect. It looks really beautiful.
Finally
It is clear that the purity of the resulting crystal cannot be compared with what can be found on the shelves of jewelry stores. However, even in nature, the bulk of mined rubies are not perfectly pure. If you spend more time, then it is quite possible to achieve the necessary purity of the artificial crystal at home. As for the composition of the stone, it will not differ between a natural crystal and an artificial one created in the garage.
We hope that today's topic was interesting to the dear reader. Huge request, when trying to reproduce such an experiment, do not forget about the need to use personal protective equipment. If you have any questions about the topic, ask them in the discussions below. HouseChief editors will definitely answer each of them. There you can also comment on what you have read, express your personal opinion about today's experience.
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