MR
Senior Member
Posts: 40
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Post by MR on Oct 25, 2011 13:48:22 GMT -5
These interesting crystals precipitated out of a solution of fertilizer that I had sitting underneath my kitchen sink. I hadn't used the stuff in quite a while and was surprised to see lots of these sitting in a slurry about 2" deep. Some water had gotten into the jar and mixed with the dry, granular fertilizer compound. It must have been the right amount of water to allow for crystal growth. The longest in the center is roughly 2.5". The ingredients in the fertilizer are listed as: Nitrogen (24%), Phosphorous (8%), Potash (16%), Boron (0.02%), Copper (0.07%), Iron (0.15%), Manganese (0.05%), Molybdenum (0.0005%), Zinc (0.06%), and EDTA (1.2%). Any idea what these may be? Until otherwise documented as an existing species, I will go with "fertilite" ;D
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Post by eechler on Oct 25, 2011 15:54:17 GMT -5
Was these crystals damp when you found them? If so, it will be interesting to see if they powder after loosing water molecules.
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MR
Senior Member
Posts: 40
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Post by MR on Oct 25, 2011 16:00:59 GMT -5
Ed - They were immersed in the solution when found. I've dried a couple dozen and the crystals have remained stable/intact. Hoping to pluck some more this evening.
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Post by colorshapetexture on Oct 25, 2011 16:25:36 GMT -5
Thats good....
Fertilite ....... From Stankonia .........
A whole different class for a collection.
Some collect amythist crystals from around the world.
Some collect all South American Crystals.
MR collects fertilizer crystals from Stankonia, at the under the sink mine.
I'm afraid I would have to give up rock lickin. Where I come from we scooped fertilizer up in the barn after the cattle and horses were done with it. I remember sinkin the shovel to deep into the ole barn floor and every now and then finding a shiton stone. They are hard to photograph unless you stay upwind. Those don't have much value either unless your in a rock fight...
Kidding aside MR those are cool.
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Post by auplater on Oct 26, 2011 8:12:19 GMT -5
Could be a phosphate salt, or most likely potassium nitrate with some copper included.
maybe crystallized with some of the cations but impossible to know without inspection and/or analysis
I get all sorts of crystals in my electroplating solutions, but then they're concentrated solutions of metals dissolved in acid
John L.
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Post by arappaho on Oct 26, 2011 17:19:57 GMT -5
Well shoot, that's not what I thought this thread was going to be about at all. ;D Still pretty cool, tho. I guess you never know where your next crystal will appear. So they won't re-dissolve in water? Kindof reminds me of this Chalcanthite specimen, but it will dissolve in water. This one has been soaked in mineral oil so, hopefully, it will be around a while.
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Post by scottr on Oct 29, 2011 10:06:28 GMT -5
looks like copper sulfate
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