This website is what I want the internet to be. Information like this is such a treat, and I would have gone crazy for it as a kid (and I still do). I used to search high and low for books containing these kinds of guides, and it makes me happy to see it online.
Yes, for sure. At least in the US, it will be in the spice aisle at your local generic grocery store (Safeway, Kroger, Walmart, Meijer, etc), although keep in mind that it is a very small container - on a cost-per-weight basis you are going to get a much better deal somewhere else.
That’s true regarding cost, but I’ve had the same little container for about 8 years now. I rarely need it, and I generally need a small amount. So it might not be too important to get more for less.
And you’re also right about where to get it. Mine was near the pickling spices in the spice aisle of a supermarket.
> But I did find a study published in the World Salt Symposium where researchers successfully grew pyramid salt from waste salt water in large, steel crystallizers.
Wow, I never knew that there was an entire symposium dedicated to salt.
This event celebrates the optimization of salt use to improve community sustainability and protect vital freshwater systems and infrastructure.
The Salt Symposium brings together leaders from diverse economic sectors to learn about the impacts of chloride and reduction methods. Professionals from across the world will share their expertise on current research initiatives including water softening, wastewater, fertilizer, snow and ice management, and more.
The YouTube channel Alex (FrenchGuyCooking) made some nice flakey salt in this video:
https://youtu.be/eN6U58LzyHg
It's a similar process, but he uses coarse sea salt without any alum or other additives. The results are less uniform, but probably better for human consumption.
Not an expert, but probably in relation to this[1]:
> In water, most of the particles are negative charged, to neutralize the charge a positive ion (cation) may be used as a coagulant. Potassium hydroxide contributes a mono-valent ion, K+. Calcium hydroxide gives a divalent ion, Ca2+. Aluminum coagulants give trivalent aluminum ions, Al3+. According to Schultz in 1882 and Hardy in 1900, higher the charge of cation, more effective is charge neutralization.
This charge would be present at the surface[2] if not dealt with via the alum, and I imagine that could disrupt the crystallization process happening there.
An excellent question, it seems way outside my high school chemistry knowledge that you could calm water with a tiny amount of anything, be it alum or otherwise.
The first pyramid salt crystal that grew from this solution was an absolute beast. The humongous head was covered with all sorts of intricate formations that reminded me of bismuth crystals."
That's a very interesting observation!
I'm wondering in all of Chemistry -- are there other possible crystal formations that look like Bismuth or specific Bismuth-looking pyramid salt crystals?
Also, could we take molten Bismuth -- and somehow grow a pyramid shaped crystal out of it? If so how? If not, why not?
> However, I would discourage you from eating pyramid salt grown with this method regularly. I’m no dietician, and it’s best to look for an expert before adding something new to your diet.
The article says ‘Add 0.5 g of alum per 500 mL of salt solution.’ but in the gif demonstrating the difference, it’s 0.5 g of alum per 100 mL of salt solution.
A photo caption also says, "No need to measure – just drop a few pea-sized pieces of alum/two pinches of alum powder into the solution and let it dissolve.", so the exact ratio is unimportant.
I think the surface of the melt will oxidize so you might need to cover it with inert gas but something like this might be possible. One issue is that the crystals might want to melt if they grow downwards into the molten liquid. I think the temperature gradients might be really important here.
> I think the temperature gradients might be really important here.
Hm, I'm trying to think of ways to maintain an even gradient without unduly stirring up the liquid metal.
Probably sealing the pot-o-bismuth inside another container, where the outer container's fluid is being stirred and circulated to minimize external gradients.
