Injecting sodium silicate solution into less dense metal sulfate solution causes precipitation of metal silicates in downward-growing structures—the reverse of the well-known “chemical garden” phenomenon. The reaction produces qualitatively different structures depending on the reaction conditions (injection rate of aqueous sodium silicate and concentration of copper(II) sulfate). We report a new quantitative methodology for analyzing the growth of these structures, fostering an improved understanding of the reaction.

Analysis of the metal sulfate-sodium silicate “reverse chemical garden” reaction

249th National Meeting (2015)

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