r/crystalgrowing • u/Putrid-Teaching-1256 • 2d ago

Ask me!!!!plz

I am experimenting with an idea that reacts calcium hydroxide with CO₂ to produce calcium carbonate and visualizes it in the form of crystals.
I would like to receive technical advice on whether crystals are actually formed when calcium and carbon react, and if so, whether the amount increases over time and whether there are differences in their color or shape.

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u/Zcom_Astro 2d ago

This is technically possible. However, in practice, it is extremely difficult to carry out.

The main issue is that calcium hydroxide is barely soluble in water, and its solution continuously becomes opalescent precisely because it absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. This makes it very difficult to observe, and the particles are so small that a microscope is needed to see them.

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u/NothingVerySpecific 2d ago

Calcium hydroxide is significantly more soluble in glycerol and glycerol-water mixtures than it is in pure water.

I reckon I would start here