Sylvia Rose
Sodium Silicate: Alchemy of Water Glass
Sodium silicate or "water glass" or liquid glass, originates in ancient practices. A chemical compound, sodium silicate is composed of...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 255 min read
Sodium Carbonate: Natural Formation to Modern Application
Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash or washing soda, is prominent across various industries for millennia. It's used in ancient and...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 254 min read
Reduction in Chemistry: Gaining Electrons
Reduction is a fundamental aspect of everyday life, from breathing oxygen to powering a phone. Reduction and its counterpart, oxidation ,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 245 min read
Etch Carnelian Beads Like It's Indus Valley 2500 BCE
The Indus Valley Civilization of the Bronze Age is one of the earliest urban societies, famous for trade, inventiveness and extraordinary...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 233 min read
Catalase: Unseen Enzymes Essential to Life
Catalase is an enzyme found in carbon life forms, including humans. It's known for its exceptional ability to decompose hydrogen peroxide...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 235 min read
Hydrogen Peroxide H2O2 Decomposition
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a basic disinfectant and bleach of many households. If stored too long it will decompose. The decomposition...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 235 min read
Peracetic Acid: Origin, Reactions, Hazards
Peracetic acid is a remarkable compound with powerful benefits and considerable risks. A colorless liquid with a sharp odor similar to...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 235 min read
Iron III Acetate - Formula, Production, Use
Iron III acetate, or ferric acetate, is a non-toxic compound in numerous scientific and industrial applications. Ferric acetate is a...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 225 min read
Methanogens: Microbes of Methane Production
Methane (CH4) is a familiar gas emanating from cow dung. Methane's creators are invisible creatures known today as methanaogens,...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 226 min read
White Lead Toxic Beauty, Art, Ancient Production
White lead, lead(II) carbonate or PbCO₃, has a long history in art, paint and industry. It's a primary source of white for artists and in...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 216 min read
Heavy Metals Cadmium, Mercury, Lead, Chromium & Arsenic
Toxic heavy metals cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, and arsenic are elements known for high density and toxicity even in small amounts....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 214 min read
Arsenic Trioxide: Paris Green Paint Pigment & Pesticide
Arsenic trioxide is a toxic compound with a a long and complex history, known at least by the time of the ancient Romans. Here's a look...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 204 min read
Separatory Funnel: Alchemy Lab Equipment
A separatory funnel is an essential piece of laboratory equipment used in liquid-liquid extractions, allowing alchemists to separate...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 173 min read
Bright Common Nails: Composition to Corrosion
Bright common nails in hardware are used in construction, woodworking, and various DIY projects from building to pigment making. Bright...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 164 min read
Secret Life of Rust: Power of Bacteria
Rust hides within itself a secret life, orchestrated by industrious communities of microscopic bacteria with immense power in the process...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 146 min read
Soot & Lampblack: Beauty, Art and Medicine
Soot is as old as fire. A dark, powder formed by incomplete burning of organic matter, it's used for centuries due to its easy...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 134 min read
Flowers of Sulfur (Brimstone): Creation & Uses
Flowers of Sulfur, often termed Flowers of Brimstone, are crumbly pale yellow powders popular with chemists, botanists, and artisans....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 134 min read
Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) Caustic Potash
Potassium Hydroxide, also known as caustic potash, has a history dating back to ancient times. A versatile chemical compound, it's used...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 133 min read
Metal to Rust: Unseen Organisms in Action
Rust, the reddish-brown coating on metals, is formed by exposure to oxygen and moisture. Responsible for this phenomenon are several...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 91 min read
Experiments With Rust: Going 4 the Gold
Experimenting with rust. Mmm rust. Amazing how many colors it gives out. I'm trying for an earthy gold and a couple other tones. On the...
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