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Pretty in Blue
Sep. 11th, 2022 05:04 pmI've been playing with copper compounds for the last few months. The goal is to work out good methods of plating copper onto stainless steel, so I can make a sturdy electrical connection to it, so I can accomplish a project I've had in mind for a few years.
( Details of the chemistry and process... )
What I got was this:
This is a thin surface crust on the solution, and I think that it consists of dark-blue copper/ammonia salts, with veins of light-blue copper hydroxide. The veining appears to be increasing over a period of days. It shows best if the jar is strongly lit from the side, minimizing highlights and reflections from the dark areas. This is a temporary state, since the crust is thin and fragile, and the veins should eventually spread to cover the surface as more ammonia evaporates. All of this is a fortunate accident resulting from my desire to play further with a "failure".
( Details of the chemistry and process... )
What I got was this:
This is a thin surface crust on the solution, and I think that it consists of dark-blue copper/ammonia salts, with veins of light-blue copper hydroxide. The veining appears to be increasing over a period of days. It shows best if the jar is strongly lit from the side, minimizing highlights and reflections from the dark areas. This is a temporary state, since the crust is thin and fragile, and the veins should eventually spread to cover the surface as more ammonia evaporates. All of this is a fortunate accident resulting from my desire to play further with a "failure".
