crystals

docs/files/recipes/alumcrystalsilk.md

@@ -2,188 +2,187 @@
 
 ### Tactility & sound impression
 
-<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gNOtGunJc2A" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HLB0nJns3U8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
 ### Description
 
-A (naturally) amber-coloured hard bioresin, gelatin-based.
+Alum crystals - that have triangular facets - grown on a silk substrate. The technique used here is called *precipitation from a solution*.
 
 ### Physical form
 
-Solids
+Surface treatment
 
-Color without additives: transparent, yellow/orange/amber colored.
+Color without additives: transparent and translucent white. (Turns opaque after baking in the oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees Celcius.)
 
 ### Fabrication time
 
 Preparation time: 1 Hour
 
-Processing time: 5-10 days
+Processing time: 1 day or overnight
 
-Need attention: None, just leave it to dry as long as is feasible with lots of airflow.
+Need attention: None. Leave in a warm place, don't move or touch it.
 
-Final form achieved after: 10 days
+Final form achieved after: 1 day
 
 ## Ingredients
 
-* **Gelatine powder - 96 gr**
-	* Functions as the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
-* **Glycerine - 16 gr**
-	* Functions as plasticizer that bonds with the gelatine (makes it flexible). 
-* **Water - 480 ml/gr**
-	* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
+* **Alum powder (also: potassium alum - 125 g** (plus some more just in case)
+	* we will try to reorganize these molecules into crystals. 
+* **Water - 400 ml/gr**
+	* To dissolve the alum powder and reorganize into a crystal 
+* **Water - 1000 ml/g**
+	* to create a bain marie
+* **Silk - a 10x10cm swatch**
+	* As a substrate for the alum crystals to attach to
 
 ## Tools
 
-1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
-1. **Pot**
-1. **Scale**
-1. **Moulds** (ideally with removeable base to increase airflow). I have modular silicon walls with metal wire inside them that allow me to cast and then turn the moulds on their side for more airflow and drying from top and bottom. I use a silicon or acrylic sheet with these mould walls.
+1. **Cooker or kettle** 
+1. **A piece of silk**
+1. **A smooth glass jar or bowl** big enough to fit your piece of silk without touching the sides or having to fold or crease it. Make sure this it totally clean.
+1. **A wide heat-resistant bowl or oven pan** this is the bain marie: the glass jar should fit inside this bowl and have some space for hot water
 1. **Spoon** 
+1. **A stick or chopsticks** that are long enough to stay put on top of the glass jar. 
+1. **Clips** to fasten the silk to the stick
 
 
 ## Yield before processing/drying/curing
 
-Approx. 300 ml (make sure to evaporate a lot of water during cooking time)
+About 80-100% of the alum powder will attach itself the silk in the form of larger crystals.
 
 ## Method
 
 1. **Preparation**
 
-	- Weigh your ingredients
-	- Prepare the mold and find a place where you can leave it for a while, ideally near an open window where there's air flow.
+	- Weigh the alum
+	- Prepare the silk by attaching it to the wooden stick with clips. When you hang it inside the glass jar it should not touch the bottom or the walls of the jar
+	- Boil the water 
+	- Put the glass jar inside the wide oven dish/pan. Pour as much boiling water as possible into the bigger pot, without making the glass jar float. This is the bain marie that will keep your crystal solution warm and help it cool down very very slowly (resulting in bigger crystals). 
+	- Put this in a (warm) place where you can leave it for 8-16 hours without anyone moving or touching it.
 
-1. **Mixing and dissolving the ingredients**
-	- bring the water to the boil
-	- optional: add natural dye if you wish to use color
-	- add the glycerine
-	- add the gelatine
-	- keep the temperature below 80 degrees celcius while stirring *very very slowly and gently* to avoid making bubbles. I prefer a simple spoon to do this, not a whisk.
+1. **Dissolving the alum**
+	- Measure 400 ml and put it in the glass jar (which is already inside the bain marie to keep it warm). 
+	- Spoon by spoon, add the alum while stirring. When no more alum dissolves and just sinks to the bottom, your solution is *saturated*. If there are grains on the bottom, pour off the liquid and clean the jar before continuing. You don't want anything on the bottom of the jar. 
+	- Now suspend your silk into the jar, again making sure it doesn't touch any sides or the bottom, and not folded in on itself. 
 
-1. **Cooking the ingredients**
+1. **Let the crystals form**
 
-	- 	Simmer and slowly stir the mixture between 60-80 degrees celcius for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour. Turn it lower when bubbles appear: you don't want the liquid to move, don't boil it. This sample has some bubbles due to vigorous mixing.
-	-  Longer cooking time allows more water to evaporate. You will get a thicker liquid. To cast larger volumes and solids with this recipe, evaporate a lot of water, until it's very thick.
-	
-1. **Casting**
-
-	- 	Let the liquid cool for a couple minutes until it gels a little but is still liquid and pourable.
-	-  Cast into the mould slowly to avoid bubbles
-	-  Pour from the middle and hold still, let the liquid distribute itself.
-	-  Put the mould away to dry in a cool place with lots of air flow (like near an open window). A warmer place might speed up the drying process but also allow bacteria to grow faster and can result in fungal growth.
-	-  If the mould has a removable base, remove it after 4-8 hours and put the mould on its side to allow air flow from both sides. 
-	-  When using a flexible mould: let it dry without releasing to keep the form as much as possible. The resin will likely shrink and release itself from the mold. If it feels cold to the touch it is still drying. If you are using a rigid mold: release after 4-8 hours and dry flat.
+	- 	Now leave the crystal to grow. The less you touch it, the easier it is for the molecules to find each other on the silk and form big beautiful crystals. 
+	-  If you have the patience, give it 16 hours. But pretty decent-sized crystals will have formed as soon as 6-8 hours later.
+	-  Rinse them under cold tap water and let them dry. 
 
 
 ### Drying/curing/growth process
 
-- Mold depth:  				 7 cm (filled up until 2.5cm high)
-- Shrinkage thickness:      20-30 %
-- Shrinkage width/length:   20-30 %
+- Mold depth:  				 N/A
+- Shrinkage thickness:      N/A
+- Shrinkage width/length:   N/A
 
 **Shrinkage and deformation control**
 
-Letting it dry up to ten days to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly harden until its totally rigid.
+N/A
 
 **Curing agents and release agents**
 
 None. 
 
-**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
+**Minimum wait time before releasing**
 
-Using a silicon mold: 7 days (or until it comes undone)
+6 hours
 
 **Post-processing**
 
-Store in a dry and ventilated room.
+Store the crystals in a dry place. They will re-dissolve immediately when the are submerged in hot water, starts to dissolve after an hour in water at room temperature, and is completely dissolved after being in water at room temperature for 4 hours. 
 
-**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
+Don't throw away left-over liquid or unused crystals, they can be redissolved a next time. 
 
-Casting larger volumes without growing fungus/mold, and limited warping can be challenging. Fillers like debris or egg shells can help. More research can be done on ideal conditions for drying larger volumes.
+**Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
 
-The resin does not cure evenly across the surface, some might be negotiated by shaving off some slides while it is still relatively soft and flexible.
+More research on colorants could be done. Black soot ink results in black crystals, purple crystals can be achieved by adding some chromium alum powder (or: potassium chromium sulfate dodecahydrate) to the solution. 
 
 
 ### Process
 
-![](../../images/resin5a.jpg)*Evaporating water until the liquid is thick like honey, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/alumsilk1.jpg)*Silk inside the bain marie, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin5.jpg)*Preparing molds for small half domes (egg cups), and a big slab (silicon mould and separate base), Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/alumsilk2.jpg)*Improvised suspension system, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin6.jpg)*Casting the resin (I had to put a weight on top to press the mold into the base and prevent leakage, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/alumsilk3.jpg)*2-3 cm crystals on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin8.jpg)*Putting the mold on its side next to open window to allow further drying from top and bottom, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/alumsilk4.jpg)*2-3 cm crystals on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+
+![](../../images/borax_opaque.jpg)*Alum crystal on an LED (top) turned opaque white after 10 mins in the oven at 100 degrees celcius. On the bottom: a borax crystal [(recipe here)](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/boraxcrystals/), Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
 
 ## Variations on this recipe
 
-- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
-- Add **less glycerine** for a more rigid foil
-- **Stiffeners** such as fibres, yarn or natural debris may be added for more structure and reinforcement.
-- **Fillers** such as almond or sunflower oil, can be added to prevent additional shrinkage but might affect stickyness.
+- Add a **colorant** such as black soot ink (other natural dyes are still experimental!)
+- Turn your crystals opaque white by putting them in the oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees celcius. 
+- Use different textiles (e.g. velvet attracts many small crystals)
+- Lay your silk flat in a bowl to cover the entire surface with smaller crystals
+- Let the crystals grow without the bain marie to see what happens
+- Glue a piece of silk on an LED with hot glue to grow a crystal that you can use in electronics projecs instead of plastic casings (see video below).
+- The same technique can be used with epsom salt, sugar and [borax](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/boraxcrystals/). 
+- Adding conductive paint to the solution creates crystals that can be used as capacitive sensors.
+
 
 ### Cultural origins of this recipe
 
-Bioplastic production is older than petrol based plastics. In 1500 BC, people in Egypt were already using glues based on gelatin, casein and albumin for furniture constructions. Gelatin casting as a technique has also been used in production of jelly-based foods such as aspic, jelly desserts and candy.
+Add here
 
 **Needs further research?**   Not sure
 
 ### References this recipe draws from
 
-- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
-- **The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3) 
+This is a variation on: **Alum Crystals** in "Textile as Scaffold" by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy 30 October 2019. Lecture notes: https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/
 
 ### Known concerns and contestations\*
 
-Needs further research
+add here
 
-Gelatin is an animal-based ingredient. Some might find it problematic to use resources that requires killing an animal because of religious or animal welfare beliefs. Arguments are also made that as long as there's a meat industry, it is better to use product from the entire animal, including skin and bones. Some might consider gelatin to be a product that comes from a waste stream, but this is considered controversial by others.
+Depends what it is compared to.. Not so bad compared to blood diamonds but it is still a finite resource that involves mining practices. 
 
-Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils and sheets and can be reused endlessly for casting high quality bioplastic sheets.
-
-Using renewable ingredients is not by definition petrol-free. Imagine they have to travel long distances by plane, boat or truck: it takes fuel. Also, the effects of GMO technologies and pesticides can be harmful to the environment and it's worth using knowing the source and production standards involved. If you can afford it, buying organic ingredients is a good starting point.
 
 ### Sustainability tags
 
-- Renewable ingredients: yes
-- Vegan: no
+- Renewable ingredients: no
+- Vegan: yes
 - Made of by-products or waste:  no
 - Biocompostable final product:  yes
-- Reuse: yes, by melting and recasting
-
-Needs further research?:  not sure
+- Reuse: yes, dissolve and regrow in hot water
 
-Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water. Recycling them with PET plastics contaminates the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
+Needs further research?:  yes, local producers seem reluctant to share sourcing information about these products. It is unclear where it comes from, whether it is natural or synthetic and what kind of mining practices are involved. 
 
 ## Material properties
 
 ### Comparative qualities
-This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or cold like glass. It keeps certain level of bounciness to it.
+
+It is clear and faceted with great definition so it is often compared to diamonds. However these can get so big that it is not really credible that they are diamonds, but they play with light in similar ways.
 
 ### Technical and sensory properties
 
-- **Strength**: strong
+- **Strength**: medium
 - **Hardness**: rigid
-- **Transparency**: transparent
-- **Glossiness**: matt
+- **Transparency**: transparent/variable (turns opaque after 10 mins at 100 degrees celcius)
+- **Glossiness**: glossy/satin
 - **Weight**: heavy
-- **Structure**: closed
-- **Texture**: medium
-- **Temperature**: medium
+- **Structure**: closed/variable
+- **Texture**: rough
+- **Temperature**: cool
 - **Shape memory**: high
-- **Odor**: moderate in final product, high during production
+- **Odor**: none
 - **Stickiness**: low
-- **Weather resistance:** low
+- **Weather resistance:** poor
 - **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
 - **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
 - **Non-allergenic:** needs further research
 - **Electrical properties:** needs further research
-- **Heat resistance:** low
-- **Water resistance:** water resistant
+- **Heat resistance:** low/needs further research
+- **Water resistance:** low
 - **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
-- **Scratch resistance:** moderate
-- **Surface friction:** medium
-- **Color modifiers:** none 
+- **Scratch resistance:** high
+- **Surface friction:** sliding
+- **PH modifiers:** none 
 
 
 ## About this entry
@@ -192,8 +191,8 @@ This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or
 
 - Name: Loes Bogers
 - Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
-- Location:  Rotterdam, the Netherlands
-- Date: 06-03-2020 – 16-03-2020
+- Location:  Amsterdam, the Netherlands
+- Date: 27-02-2020 – 27-02-2020
 
 ### Environmental conditions
 
@@ -209,13 +208,11 @@ By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
 
 ### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
 
-2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml
+2,00 Euros for a 400 ml saturated solution
 
 ### Local supplier/sourcing info
 
-Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
-Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
-Molds - Houseware stores, thrift shops
+Chempropack in the Netherlands - online retailers
 
 ## Copyright information
 
@@ -225,20 +222,26 @@ Yes
 
 ### This recipe was previously published by someone else
 
-Yes, in: **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
+This is a variation on: **Growing Gems Crystal Project** by Home Science Tools Learning Center: https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/growing-gems-crystal-project/
 
 ##References
 
-- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
-- **The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
-- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
+- **Textile as Scaffold** by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy 30 October 2019. Lecture notes: https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/
+- **Dark diamond mining** by EJTech, 25 February 2020: https://wikifactory.com/@ejtech/dark-diamond-mining
+- **Growing Gems Crystal Project** by Home Science Tools Learning Center: https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/growing-gems-crystal-project/
+- **Grow your own simulated diamonds with a big alum crystal**, by Anne Marie Helmenstein for ThoughtCo, 13 February 2018: https://www.thoughtco.com/growing-a-big-alum-crystal-602197
 
 ## Images of final product
 
-![](../../images/finalpics-29.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/finalpics-8.jpg)*Large crystals grown on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+
+![](../../images/finalpics-9.jpg)*Large crystals grown on silk, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+
+![](../../images/finalpics-4.jpg)*Smaller crystals grown on silk (lay it flat in a wide glass bowl), Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/finalpics-30.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/finalpics-5.jpg)*Smaller crystals grown on silk on top of a black bowl, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/finalpics-37.jpg)*Bioresin slab and half dome, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/finalpics-6.jpg)*Alum crystals on silk (right), and on velvet (left), Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oRGE_kX80AU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

docs/files/recipes/boraxcrystals.md

@@ -2,188 +2,186 @@
 
 ### Tactility & sound impression
 
-<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gNOtGunJc2A" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v0EhkKF5i5Q" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
 ### Description
 
-A (naturally) amber-coloured hard bioresin, gelatin-based.
+Borax crystals - grown on a nylon wire and on textile. The technique used here is called *precipitation from a solution*.
 
 ### Physical form
 
-Solids
+Surface treatment, Solids
 
-Color without additives: transparent, yellow/orange/amber colored.
+Color without additives: transparent and translucent white. (Turns opaque after baking in the oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees Celcius.)
 
 ### Fabrication time
 
 Preparation time: 1 Hour
 
-Processing time: 5-10 days
+Processing time: 6-24 hours
 
-Need attention: None, just leave it to dry as long as is feasible with lots of airflow.
+Need attention: None. Leave in a warm place, don't move or touch it.
 
-Final form achieved after: 10 days
+Final form achieved after: 1 day
 
 ## Ingredients
 
-* **Gelatine powder - 96 gr**
-	* Functions as the polymeer (so it becomes a solid)
-* **Glycerine - 16 gr**
-	* Functions as plasticizer that bonds with the gelatine (makes it flexible). 
-* **Water - 480 ml/gr**
-	* To dissolve and mix the polymeer and plasticizer
+* **Borax powder - 7 tbsp** (approx. 150g)
+	* also called: sodium tetraborate we will try to reorganize these molecules into crystals. 
+* **Water - 400 ml/gr**
+	* To dissolve the borax powder and reorganize into a crystal 
+* **Water - 1000 ml/g**
+	* to create a bain marie
+* **Vinyl fish wire - 20 cm**
+	* This is so smooth it is harder for the molecules to attach to so they will all attach to the rougher surfaces you put in.
+* **Fluffly textile decorations** get fluffy balls or balls on a string. Pipe cleaners also work very well.
 
 ## Tools
 
-1. **Cooker or stove** (optional: temperature controlled)
-1. **Pot**
-1. **Scale**
-1. **Moulds** (ideally with removeable base to increase airflow). I have modular silicon walls with metal wire inside them that allow me to cast and then turn the moulds on their side for more airflow and drying from top and bottom. I use a silicon or acrylic sheet with these mould walls.
+1. **Cooker or kettle** 
+1. **A smooth glass jar or bowl** big enough to fit your textiles without it touching the sides or having to fold or crease it. Make sure this is totally clean. Prepare as many jars as you have textile surfaces. You can't put them together: the two surfaces would compete in attracting the available borax molecules.
+1. **A wide heat-resistant bowl or oven pan** this is the bain marie: the glass jar(s) should fit inside this bowl and have some space for hot water
 1. **Spoon** 
+1. **Sticks or chopsticks** that are long enough to stay put on top of the glass jar(s). 
+1. **Clips** to fasten the string(s) to the stick
 
 
 ## Yield before processing/drying/curing
 
-Approx. 300 ml (make sure to evaporate a lot of water during cooking time)
+About 80-100% of the borax powder will attach itself the silk in the form of larger crystals.
 
 ## Method
 
 1. **Preparation**
 
-	- Weigh your ingredients
-	- Prepare the mold and find a place where you can leave it for a while, ideally near an open window where there's air flow.
+	- Weigh the borax
+	- Prepare the longer fluffy textile by draping it over a jar. Secure where necessary. 
+	- Tie the fish wire around a fluffy ball of piece of fabric even, and suspend it inside the bowl with clips and a stick. None of the materials should touch the bottom or the sides of the jar(s). 
+	- Boil the water 
+	- Put the glass jar(s) inside the wide oven dish/pan. Pour as much boiling water as possible into the bigger pot, without making the glass jar(s) float. This is the bain marie that will keep your crystal solution warm and help it cool down very very slowly (resulting in bigger crystals). 
+	- Put this in a (warm) place where you can leave it for 8-16 hours without anyone moving or touching it.
 
-1. **Mixing and dissolving the ingredients**
-	- bring the water to the boil
-	- optional: add natural dye if you wish to use color
-	- add the glycerine
-	- add the gelatine
-	- keep the temperature below 80 degrees celcius while stirring *very very slowly and gently* to avoid making bubbles. I prefer a simple spoon to do this, not a whisk.
+1. **Dissolving the alum**
+	- Measure 400 ml and put it in the glass jar (which is already inside the bain marie to keep it warm). 
+	- Spoon by spoon, add the borax while stirring. When no more borax dissolves and just sinks to the bottom, your solution is *saturated*. If there are grains on the bottom, pour off the liquid and clean the jar before continuing. You don't want anything on the bottom of the jar. 
+	- Now suspend your textiles into the jar, again making sure it doesn't touch any sides or the bottom. 
 
-1. **Cooking the ingredients**
-
-	- 	Simmer and slowly stir the mixture between 60-80 degrees celcius for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour. Turn it lower when bubbles appear: you don't want the liquid to move, don't boil it. This sample has some bubbles due to vigorous mixing.
-	-  Longer cooking time allows more water to evaporate. You will get a thicker liquid. To cast larger volumes and solids with this recipe, evaporate a lot of water, until it's very thick.
-	
-1. **Casting**
-
-	- 	Let the liquid cool for a couple minutes until it gels a little but is still liquid and pourable.
-	-  Cast into the mould slowly to avoid bubbles
-	-  Pour from the middle and hold still, let the liquid distribute itself.
-	-  Put the mould away to dry in a cool place with lots of air flow (like near an open window). A warmer place might speed up the drying process but also allow bacteria to grow faster and can result in fungal growth.
-	-  If the mould has a removable base, remove it after 4-8 hours and put the mould on its side to allow air flow from both sides. 
-	-  When using a flexible mould: let it dry without releasing to keep the form as much as possible. The resin will likely shrink and release itself from the mold. If it feels cold to the touch it is still drying. If you are using a rigid mold: release after 4-8 hours and dry flat.
+1. **Let the crystals form**
 
+	- 	Leave the crystal to grow. The less you touch it, the easier it is for the molecules to find each other on the silk and form big beautiful crystals. 
+	-  If you have the patience, give it 16-24 hours. But pretty decent-sized crystals will have formed as soon as 6-8 hours later.
+	-  Rinse them under cold tap water and let them dry. 
 
 ### Drying/curing/growth process
 
-- Mold depth:  				 7 cm (filled up until 2.5cm high)
-- Shrinkage thickness:      20-30 %
-- Shrinkage width/length:   20-30 %
+- Mold depth:  				 N/A
+- Shrinkage thickness:      N/A
+- Shrinkage width/length:   N/A
 
 **Shrinkage and deformation control**
 
-Letting it dry up to ten days to get to the final form. It will be flexible at first but will slowly harden until its totally rigid.
+N/A
 
 **Curing agents and release agents**
 
 None. 
 
-**Minimum wait time before releasing from mold**
+**Minimum wait time before releasing**
 
-Using a silicon mold: 7 days (or until it comes undone)
+8 hours but more is better
 
 **Post-processing**
 
-Store in a dry and ventilated room.
+Store the crystals in a dry place. They will re-dissolve immediately when the are submerged in hot water. Starts to dissolve after 4 hours in water at room temperature. 
+
+Don't throw away left-over liquid or unused crystals, they can be redissolved a next time. 
 
 **Further research needed on drying/curing/growth?**
 
-Casting larger volumes without growing fungus/mold, and limited warping can be challenging. Fillers like debris or egg shells can help. More research can be done on ideal conditions for drying larger volumes.
+More research on colorants could be done. Black soot ink results in black crystals. 
 
-The resin does not cure evenly across the surface, some might be negotiated by shaving off some slides while it is still relatively soft and flexible.
+### Process
 
+![](../../images/borax1.jpg)*Preparing the jars and textiles, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-### Process
+![](../../images/borax2.jpg)*Suspending the textiles, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+
+![](../../images/borax3.jpg)*Growing borax crystals, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin5a.jpg)*Evaporating water until the liquid is thick like honey, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/borax4.jpg)*Pipe cleaner (top), a fluffy ball on fish wire (left) and string with balls (right), Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin5.jpg)*Preparing molds for small half domes (egg cups), and a big slab (silicon mould and separate base), Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/borax5.jpg)*String with crystals grown on the fluffy balls, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin6.jpg)*Casting the resin (I had to put a weight on top to press the mold into the base and prevent leakage, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/borax_opaque.jpg)*Borax crystal turned opaque white after 10 mins in the oven at 100 degrees celcius, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/resin8.jpg)*Putting the mold on its side next to open window to allow further drying from top and bottom, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
 
 ## Variations on this recipe
 
-- Add a **natural colorant** such as a vegetable dye or water-based ink (e.g. hibiscus, beetroot, madder)
-- Add **less glycerine** for a more rigid foil
-- **Stiffeners** such as fibres, yarn or natural debris may be added for more structure and reinforcement.
-- **Fillers** such as almond or sunflower oil, can be added to prevent additional shrinkage but might affect stickyness.
+- Add a **colorant** such as black soot ink (other natural dyes are still experimental!)
+- Turn your crystals **opaque white** by putting them in the oven for 10 minutes at 100 degrees celcius. It adds definition to the faceting.
+- Try to grow even **bigger crystals** by using the crystal you grew on the string as a *seed crystal*. Make a new saturated solution (let it cool enough so it doesn't feel hot anymore but more towards lukewarm, so your seed crystal doesn't dissolve). Suspend the crystal in it and watch it grow bigger. Take it out immediately if it dissolves: check that it is fully saturated and let the liquid cool more before trying again.
+- The same technique can be used with epsom salt, sugar and [borax](https://class.textile-academy.org/2020/loes.bogers/files/recipes/alumcrystalsilk/). 
+- Adding conductive paint to the solution creates crystals that can be used as capacitive sensors.
+
 
 ### Cultural origins of this recipe
 
-Bioplastic production is older than petrol based plastics. In 1500 BC, people in Egypt were already using glues based on gelatin, casein and albumin for furniture constructions. Gelatin casting as a technique has also been used in production of jelly-based foods such as aspic, jelly desserts and candy.
+Add here
 
 **Needs further research?**   Not sure
 
 ### References this recipe draws from
 
-- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
-- **The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3) 
+This is a variation on: **Borax Crystals**, in: "Textile as Scaffold" by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy 30 October 2019. Lecture notes: https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/
 
 ### Known concerns and contestations\*
 
-Needs further research
-
-Gelatin is an animal-based ingredient. Some might find it problematic to use resources that requires killing an animal because of religious or animal welfare beliefs. Arguments are also made that as long as there's a meat industry, it is better to use product from the entire animal, including skin and bones. Some might consider gelatin to be a product that comes from a waste stream, but this is considered controversial by others.
+add here
 
-Acrylic (for the mold) is a petrol based plastic but results in very shiny foils and sheets and can be reused endlessly for casting high quality bioplastic sheets.
+Depends what it is compared to. Not so bad compared to blood diamonds but it is still a finite resource that involves mining practices. 
 
-Using renewable ingredients is not by definition petrol-free. Imagine they have to travel long distances by plane, boat or truck: it takes fuel. Also, the effects of GMO technologies and pesticides can be harmful to the environment and it's worth using knowing the source and production standards involved. If you can afford it, buying organic ingredients is a good starting point.
 
 ### Sustainability tags
 
-- Renewable ingredients: yes
-- Vegan: no
+- Renewable ingredients: no
+- Vegan: yes
 - Made of by-products or waste:  no
 - Biocompostable final product:  yes
-- Reuse: yes, by melting and recasting
-
-Needs further research?:  not sure
+- Reuse: yes, dissolve and regrow in hot water
 
-Gelatine-based bioplastics can be recasted by melting them in a pot with some water. Recycling them with PET plastics contaminates the waste stream. Compost bioplastics in a warm environment with sufficient airflow.
+Needs further research?:  yes, local producers seem reluctant to share sourcing information about these products. It is unclear where it comes from exactly, whether it is natural or synthetic and what kind of mining practices are involved. 
 
 ## Material properties
 
 ### Comparative qualities
-This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or cold like glass. It keeps certain level of bounciness to it.
+
+It is clear and faceted with great definition so it is often compared to diamonds. However these can get so big that it is not really credible that they are diamonds, but they play with light in similar ways. Less triangular than for example alum crystals. 
 
 ### Technical and sensory properties
 
-- **Strength**: strong
+- **Strength**: medium
 - **Hardness**: rigid
-- **Transparency**: transparent
-- **Glossiness**: matt
+- **Transparency**: transparent/variable (turns opaque after 10 mins at 100 degrees celcius)
+- **Glossiness**: glossy/satin
 - **Weight**: heavy
-- **Structure**: closed
-- **Texture**: medium
-- **Temperature**: medium
+- **Structure**: closed/variable
+- **Texture**: rough
+- **Temperature**: cool
 - **Shape memory**: high
-- **Odor**: moderate in final product, high during production
+- **Odor**: none
 - **Stickiness**: low
-- **Weather resistance:** low
+- **Weather resistance:** poor
 - **Acoustic properties:** needs further research
 - **Anti-bacterial:** needs further research
 - **Non-allergenic:** needs further research
 - **Electrical properties:** needs further research
-- **Heat resistance:** low
-- **Water resistance:** water resistant
+- **Heat resistance:** low/needs further research
+- **Water resistance:** low
 - **Chemical resistance:** needs further research
-- **Scratch resistance:** moderate
-- **Surface friction:** medium
-- **Color modifiers:** none 
+- **Scratch resistance:** high
+- **Surface friction:** sliding
+- **PH modifiers:** none 
 
 
 ## About this entry
@@ -192,8 +190,8 @@ This resin is dense and rather heavy, but not rock hard like synthetic epoxy or
 
 - Name: Loes Bogers
 - Affiliation: Fabricademy student at Waag Textile Lab Amsterdam
-- Location:  Rotterdam, the Netherlands
-- Date: 06-03-2020 – 16-03-2020
+- Location:  Amsterdam, the Netherlands
+- Date: 25-02-2020 – 26-02-2020
 
 ### Environmental conditions
 
@@ -209,13 +207,11 @@ By Cecilia Raspanti, Textile Lab, Waag Amsterdam, 9 March 2020
 
 ### Estimated cost (consumables) in local currency
 
-2,56 Euros for a yield of approx 300 ml
+2,25 Euros for a 400 ml saturated solution
 
 ### Local supplier/sourcing info
 
-Gelatin powder - Jacob Hooy (online retailers)
-Glycerine 1.23 - Orphi/Chempropack (online retailers)
-Molds - Houseware stores, thrift shops
+Chempropack in the Netherlands - online retailers
 
 ## Copyright information
 
@@ -225,20 +221,23 @@ Yes
 
 ### This recipe was previously published by someone else
 
-Yes, in: **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
+This is a variation on: **Borax Crystals: How to Grow Giant DIY Borax Crystals** by Tanya for Dans Le Lakehouse, 2015: https://www.danslelakehouse.com/2015/01/diy-borax-crystals.html
 
 ##References
 
-- **The Secrets of Bioplastic** by Clara Davis (Fabtex, IAAC, Fab Lab Barcelona), 2017, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/the_secrets_of_bioplastic_).
-- **The Bioplastics Cookbook: A Catalogue of Bioplastics Recipes** by Margaret Dunne for Fabtextiles, 2018, [link](https://issuu.com/nat_arc/docs/bioplastic_cook_book_3)
-- **Bioresin (gelatin) Recipe** by Cecilia Raspanti (Textile Lab, Waag), Fabricademy Class "Biofabricating", 2019, [link](https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week05A/).
+- **Textile as Scaffold** by Anastasia Pistofidou for Fabricademy 30 October 2019. Lecture notes: https://class.textile-academy.org/classes/week088/
+- **Dark diamond mining** by EJTech, 25 February 2020: https://wikifactory.com/@ejtech/dark-diamond-mining
+- **Borax Crystals: How to Grow Giant DIY Borax Crystals** by Tanya for Dans Le Lakehouse, 2015: https://www.danslelakehouse.com/2015/01/diy-borax-crystals.html
+- 
 
 ## Images of final product
 
-![](../../images/finalpics-29.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+![](../../images/finalpics-10.jpg)*Borax crystals on fish wire and textile, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+
+![](../../images/finalpics-11.jpg)*Borax crystal on fish wire, Loes Bogers, 2020*
+
+![](../../images/finalpics-12.jpg)*Borax crystal on textile decoration, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/finalpics-30.jpg)*Bioresin slab, Loes Bogers, 2020*
 
-![](../../images/finalpics-37.jpg)*Bioresin slab and half dome, Loes Bogers, 2020*