Synthetic Fluorescent Mineral: Bologna Stone "Cakes 2.0" - PHOS

 

FOV: 4" wide

 

Experiments in recreating the Bologna Stone, one of the first synthetically made phosphors made by heating barite from near Bologna, Italy. Heating barite (BaSO4) with carbon reduces it to barium sulfide (BaS).

 

These "cakes" were made by combining BaSO4 with flour and sugar (plus a tiny bit of NaCl and KCl as fluxes and CuCl2*2H2O as activator). Water was added and the mixture was baked at 500 degF until jet black and no longer producing smoke. The black mass was then and heated with a MAPP gas torch until it glowed bluish white.

 

Contains:

BaS? (FL+PHOS! Yellow Orange >UVabc)

 

Shown in phosphorescent state after exposure to UVabc light. Also quite phosphorescent after exposure to white incandescent light.

 

Key:

WL = White light (halogen + LED)

FL = Fluoresces

PHOS = Phosporescent

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

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

 

..\FL min Experiments\Group II Sulfides\BaSO4 with flour and sugar\group2

 

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

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