Slurry PH?

[1dave]

@jamesp I got to wondering if ph has any effect in tumble polishing.

There are three kinds of feldspar, so there are three kinds of clay.



Calcium, Sodium, Potassium.

Acid dissolves calcium and deposits silica. Would an acidic slurry deposit silica and fill in scratches on agate?
Perhaps add a little vinegar?

Base dissolves silica and deposits calcium. Would it help polish calcite?

What about other soft stones?

[1dave]

Sept 30, 2017 8:47:14 GMT -7 @jamesp said:

No doubt Dave. Some of the combinations of rocks and slurry and water are going to have ph reactions.

Not sure it matters other than blowing the cap off of a sealed rotary barrel. Creating gas...

A cheap swimming pool ph tester would do the trick. Two items to measure. Rocks and water. Water easy to measure. Rocks not so easy being a solid.
Coarse grind is when ph reactions occur. When you are cutting meat off the rocks. Not finishing steps. Never had gas during 220-500-1000-14,000 in rotary. No meat removal.

Sept 15, 2017 4:37:02 GMT -7 @jamesp said:

Water has a lot of variation in ph. Ever seen the reaction of baking soda and vinegar ? Gas galore.
Just curious what types of ph cocktails are being generated in the tumbler. ph reactions are most common.




Dasani is acid 3.04 , Essentia is alkaline 9.26. Wide range, about as wide a range as baking soda and vinegar. Am I missing something ?
Guaranteed, tumbling alkaline lime bearing type agates with Dasani ph 3.04 acid water is going to generate gas. Got to.
Does not make sense Dasani is ph 3. But water does vary greatly.

Acid water with acid rocks or alkaline water with alkaline rocks makes sense.
Not sure how you would measure the ph of rocks.
Unless you measure their slurry, and then you need to know the ph of the water you mixed with the rocks.