1/02/2024 -- Man Made Stone -- Geopolymer Limestone -- Ancient mix ingredient list included!

dutchsinse
1/02/2024 -- Man Made Stone -- Geopolymer Limestone -- Ancient mix ingredient list included!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUBB3wNae1s
Ingredient list below!

Thanks to Paul Cook for making me aware of geopolymers, and the ancient structures made of such materials!

This apparently goes back a long way .. check out Paul Cooks channel for more info on man made rock and how the ancient people apparently used it (hidden from history until now): @pauliecook432

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Ingredients to make this awesome indoor use mix of geopolymer limestone... mix in this order -

1 cup of salt water (tap water with 1 tablespoon of salt mixed in well)
1 cup of Sodium Silicate aka Waterglass mixed into the above saltwater
1 cup of Sodium Carbonate white powder mixed in fully
1 cup of Calcium Carbonate white powder mixed in fully
1 cup of Crushed powderized limestone mixed in fully

By the time you mix in the limestone, the mix will begin heating up, and bubbling, and start to congeal.

The mix will at first be smooth and pour like concrete, perfect for pouring into fine molds or detailed pieces / areas.

After about 15-20 minutes the mix will begin to become more like playdough or thick clay, which can be packed into molds or to be pliable onto / around / or inside things (can be shaped like pottery for instance).

You can play with the amounts of each material in ratios to get different mixes (more water and sodium silicate makes a more liquid like mix for instance).

Last step , instead of limestone, can substitute most powderized rocks including granite, coral, and most other crushed stones.

I am experimenting now with adding in metal powders, however the metal powders must be added in carefully , as some powdered metals will react with h20 (water) and release hydrogen / oxygen which can be an issue when using powder metals!

After choosing which powderized stone you want to mix in, you can safely add in foils, beads, plastics, and any aggregate stone you want to mix in , anything from gravel or fossils to glow in the dark plastics or pieces of metal ... fabrics, threads, and fibers can also be added to make a fiber-polymer mix!

As for pigments, you can add pigments at any stage in the process and or EVERY stage in the process. I would suggest first using liquid pigments in the saltwater and sodium silicate, and then use powder pigments in the Calcium Carbonate , Sodium Carbonate, and "rock" you choose to add in.

This mix works also as a mortar, grout, and binder for any unfinished stone material that I have found so far. There may be some exceptions, but so far this mix sticks to concrete, wood, plastic, metal, and other geopolymers.... It even stuck fairly hard against my sealed concrete garage floor.

Uses for this could go anywhere from small tiles to big art sculptures, tables, railings, corbels, mantles, lamps, furniture, and a host of other things I haven't even thought of yet.

It is very exicting to think about all the uses that man made stone could be used for... lol.. how about the dashboard in your car being solid stone haha or a computer case for your tower PC?! lol A mouse and keyboard set made of stone? why not? lol Maybe I can make tombstones that last as long as the pyramids, inlayed with LED's and glow in the dark letters ! haha I'm thinking big!

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As for OUTDOOR use, this is going to require a slightly different mix, and step by step method. I am working on the outdoor mix now, and the only difference seems to be that in step 1 (salt water)... after step one you add in crushed burned seashells (caustic lye or quicklime). then do the rest of the steps as listed above. Caution: I still am testing the outdoor mix, don't know how long it will last !