pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on mon 31 jan 05
Up early, listening to the Radio, news-spot, and they
mention some University figured out how to make 'Petrified
Wood' in only a day or two.
What I heard, wuz -
Wood is put in a muffle with Argon, in 'Sand', heated for
some time at 1,400 degrees (F, I assume)...
Curious...
Did I hear it right?
Seems easy enough to try some experiments.
Hmmmm...
Phil
el ve
Paul Herman on mon 31 jan 05
Hi Phil,
You heard right. Here's an article from the BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4206387.stm
It says in part:
"To mimic this process in the lab, the team led by Yongsoon Shin bought
pine and poplar boards. A 1cm cube cut from these boards is placed in
acid for two days, before being soaked in a silica solution for two
more.
Next, the cube is air-dried, placed in a furnace filled with argon gas
which is gradually raised to 1,400C and left to cook for two hours.
Finally, the cube is left to cool in argon to room temperature.
Silica takes up permanent residence with the carbon left in the wood's
cellulose to form silicon carbide, a ceramic."
Bits and chunks of pertified wood are found around here.
Good rockhounding,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://www.greatbasinpottery.com/
----------
>From: pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Make you own 'petrified wood?'
>Date: Mon, Jan 31, 2005, 5:13 AM
>
> Up early, listening to the Radio, news-spot, and they
> mention some University figured out how to make 'Petrified
> Wood' in only a day or two.
>
> What I heard, wuz -
>
> Wood is put in a muffle with Argon, in 'Sand', heated for
> some time at 1,400 degrees (F, I assume)...
>
> Curious...
>
> Did I hear it right?
>
> Seems easy enough to try some experiments.
>
>
> Hmmmm...
>
> Phil
> el ve
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 1 feb 05
This "research" seems to imply that "Petrified Wood" is composed of
Silicon Carbide.
There was, at Matlock Bath in the county of Derby a tourism feature, a
"Petrifying Spring" organic object placed in the fountain of water
changed to limestone as they rotted away.
In South Australia a few miles south of Redhill there are lakes. From
time to time farm animals are trapped in the mire which forms after
heavy rains. As they rot away they change into crystalline salt
replicas. In Snowtown school lab there was the skull and horns of a
ram totally coated with large cubic NaCl crystals.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
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