Sylvia Rose
Copper(II) Sulfate: Blue Vitriol, Chalcanthite
Copper (II) sulfate CuSO4 yields a vivid color and widespread applications. Also known as blue vitriol in alchemy and chalcanthite in...
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Sylvia Rose
3 days ago4 min read
Lye (NaOH): Caustic Soda for Soap & Glass
Lye or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a vital part of human history. Also called caustic soda, lye is a white odorless solid. A strong...
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Sylvia Rose
4 days ago4 min read
Potash: Agriculture, Plant & Garden Health
Potash is a mineral group prized in agriculture, health and human life though history. Potash covers various potassium-rich salts,...
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Sylvia Rose
5 days ago5 min read
Iron(III) Oxide: Creation, Art & Science
Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide (Fe2O3) yields a striking red color as a pigment, and has a wide range of uses. From industrial...
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Sylvia Rose
6 days ago5 min read
Silent Destroyers: Microbes of Concrete Corrosion
The microbes of concrete corrosion include bacteria, fungi and algae. Their purpose in life is to break down and decompose matter, and...
8 views
Sylvia Rose
6 days ago3 min read
Silent Destroyers: Microbial Corrosion of Concrete
Microbial corrosion of concrete by bacteria, fungi and algae destabilize structures of home and environs. While the impact of weather,...
9 views
Sylvia Rose
Nov 15 min read
Cupriavidus metallidurans: Metal Eating Gold Making Bacterium
Cupriavidus metallidurans has an extraordinary ability to prosper in toxic environments. Not only does it survive, it turns toxic metals...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 285 min read
Radioactive Gas: Radon (Rn) Noble & Deadly
Radon (Rn) is part of the noble gas family. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, radon presents unique characteristics and effects on...
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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
Secret Lives of Sulfuric Acid-Eating Bacteria
Acidophillium and Acidobacillus ferroxidens bacteria thrive in harmful conditions. These microscopic sulfuric acid-eating bacteria use...
11 views
Sylvia Rose
Oct 185 min read
Talc (Magnesium Silicate): Beauty, Art & Industry
Talc or hydrated magnesium silicate is a naturally occurring mineral, primarily composed of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. With its...
18 views
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...
9 views
Sylvia Rose
Oct 125 min read
Tungsten: Elusive Metal of Light, Art & Industry
Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a rare and versatile metal. In nature, tungsten is found in ore form, combined with other elements....
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 63 min read
Niter (Saltpeter): Science of Alchemy
Niter or saltpeter (KNO3) is the mineral form of potassium nitrate. A soft substance easy to grind, it creates colorless to white...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 26 min read
Making Lixivium: Alchemy of Lixiviation
Lixiviation or leaching is an ancient process alchemy still used today in making tea, extracting dyes and ores. Lixivium is a general...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 15 min read
Chemistry of Rust: Minerals & Pigment Colors
Rust, the reddish-brown coating that forms on iron or steel due to exposure to oxygen and moisture is a fascinating display of chemistry....
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 305 min read
Chalcedony Gems: Secrets of Silicon Dioxide
Silicon dioxide (SiO₂), or silica, holds fascinating secrets within its molecular structure. It's one of the most abundant minerals found...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 305 min read
Carbuncle: Red Stone of Magic & Medicine
Carbuncle has many meanings. Today it most often describes a deep red almandine garnet gemstone cut with a smooth, convex face or...
11 views
Sylvia Rose
Sep 295 min read
Magnetite: Ubiquitous Iron Ore with Soul
Magnetite is an iron ore formed below the earth's surface. As one of the primary iron ores it keeps the wheels of progress turning....
14 views
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