Synthetic Fluorescent Mineral Experiment: Calcium Sulfide from Plaster of Paris - UVc

FOV: 4" wide.

 

Calcium sulfide phosphors made using Plaster of Paris and sugar. 15 mL of Plaster of Paris was hydrated with about 1 mL of sugar dissolved into 7.5mL of water along with a small amount of an activator (cupric chloride on the left, manganese sulfate on the right). After the plaster had set it was heated until yellow orange incandescensce using a MAPP gas torch. The top layer was then scraped away to reveal the interiors of the samples.

 

Heating the calcium sulfate in the Plaster of Paris along with sugar (carbon) reduced the sulfate to sulfide.

 

Contains:

CaS:Cu (FL Blue >UVabc)

CaS:Mn (FL Orange >UVc)

 

Shown under UVc light.

 

Key:

WL = White light (halogen + LED)

FL = Fluoresces

PHOS = Phosphorescent

Blue = 450nm,

UVa = 368nm (LW), UVb = 311nm (MW), UVc = 254nm (SW)

'>' = "stimulated by:", '!' = "bright", '~' = "dim"

 

 

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18 Watt Triple Output UV lamp from Polman Minerals - Way Too Cool UV lamps

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